On his latest solo record, multi-instrumentalist Jon Porras offers four tranquil, contemplative pieces that fall solidly, but gently, into the wide-open and increasingly crowded category of ambient. Featuring guitar, piano, Hammond organ, and Yamaha DX7, the music is warm and organic as it avoids the insubstantial, its atmospheres relaxing without ever succumbing to mere background fluff. A trim, rewarding excursion, Arroyo releases May 20 on crystal clear vinyl and digital through Thrill Jockey.
Of groups, Jon Porras has been in a few, but by far the highest profile of the bunch is Barn Owl, which put out a slew of records from roughly 2007–2013, largely by the duo of Porras and fellow multi-instrumentalist Evan Caminiti, the music released by a handful of labels including Not Not Fun, Blackest Rainbow, Important, Root Strata, and Thrill Jockey.
Porras and Caminiti have both been busy as solo artists, so one shouldn’t assume that Barn Owl is a done deal. Possibly, it’s just a back-burner situation. And it’s worth noting that Barn Owl is best described as a psychedelic-drone-experimental endeavor, a style that contrasts pretty significantly from the sound(scape)s heard across Arroyo.
In fact, the scoop is that Porras’ latest is a bit of a departure from his prior solo work, a claim I was intending to verify, except that I just kept playing Arroyo over and over. Obviously, this should be considered a mark in the music’s favor; at just short of 34 minutes, the record is built for repeat spins, but that’s also the sorta scenario that can quickly amplify a record’s shortcomings and flaws.
But listening to Arroyo, I’ve yet to perceive any glaring missteps or deficiencies, which isn’t to suggest that Porras has made a perfect record. But a remarkably assured one? Yes. And more to the point, Porras’ strong suits are just consistently in the foreground. It’s all doubly impressive given the substantial prettiness that’s on display in opener “Flower in Hand.”
I’ve no problem with prettiness, but will fess up to being frequently deflated by the contemporary inclination toward overwrought glistening gorgeousness in various ambient contexts, particularly when piano is involved. Bluntly, the results too often border on the insubstantiality mentioned above, an “inspirational” quality that’s shared (indeed, to some extent borrowed) from the neo-classical field.
In short, “Flower in Hand” is pretty, but its gestures of beauty are neither oppressive nor aural wallpaper. The same is true for the title track that follows, as the piano (and the prettiness) is even more prevalent. A big part of Porras’ success is that he favors gradual drift over emotionally direct tones, even when titles like “Flower in Hand” and “In a Garden” can set specific scenes.
For “In a Garden,” the keyboard tones resonate with a touch of reverb that foreshadows the shimmering guitar-infused closing standout “Woven Landscape.” It’s the record’s most intense track and also the only cut that can be described as brandishing “edge.” This has a lot to do with how Porras plays an electric guitar like an electric guitar, but the general ambiance throughout wields heft that’s quite complementary.
And given how the title references a landscape and guitar is so prominent, it’s to Porras’ credit that an overfamiliar aura of the desert is held at bay. But that’s ultimately in keeping with Arroyo’s general avoidance of the trite. Instead, it’s a recording of delightful freshness that stands apart from the ambient pack.
GRADED ON A CURVE:
A-
