
Five years in to his tenure as Wilco's mad genius guitarist, Nels Cline could safely leave his avant-garde and jazz roots behind. Fuck that. Cline's a sonic omnivore, respectful of structure but more obsessed with the emotional power of sound in all of its shapes and un-shapes. On this solo-with-overdubs album from the adventurous Cryptogramophone label, Cline spotlights his mastery of softer shades. Acoustic improv, luminously-orchestrated compositions, pulses, electricity, quietude, zithers, electronics. Bliss. It's the introspective solo album that Cline's wanted to make for years. And now he has.
All in, this album seals it. I've seen him in crappy clubs and huge theatres. It never matters, he plays with such skill and intensity that it's literally almost too much electricity to process. He is for sure in the top few guitarists of our time.