The title of Adam Stafford's second solo album is a line in Allen Ginsberg's poem Howl which suggests that the only boundaries we have are those inside our heads.
It's a fitting metaphor for a record that borrows so freely and intelligently from a range of musical genres.
Stafford is the former lead vocalist of the underrated, and now defunct, Scottish band Y'All Fantasy Island.
You can still just about hear the Alt.Country meets Grunge elements that typified that band's sound but working independently has clearly freed him up to entertain more experimental possibilities.
If I was pushed to name someone working on a similar canvas, I'd say Jim O'Rourke's solo work would be a good point of comparison. Both these artists seem to me to have a thorough knowledge of mainstream and 'underground' rock coupled with the ability to creatively mix commercial elements with more avant-garde textures.
The repeated loops and layers of the opening, and title, track establish an hypnotic space rock beat that, at one point, threatens to drift into abstract noise but stays on course for seven minutes. Lyrically, sinister references to "Satan" are tempered by a deadpan humour: "She's going to dress you in rubber and send the pictures to your mother".
For Vanishing Tanks, Stafford adds some beatboxing to underpin an otherwise conventional rock song. This technique is also deployed for the Beck-like Invisible Migration. These seem like a natural extension, and electrification, of the distinctive voice only Shot-down You Summer Wannabes from his debut. The vocal percussion is used more playfully on His Acres
In these tracks, as well as in the looped guitars of Sound Of Fear Evaborating, you can detect the influence of the phasing techniques popularized by minimalist composer Steve Reich. A direct nod to this comes in the title of the final track: Phased Return.
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The dark pop of Ghostly Arms and the first single Please together with the rockier Carshulton Girls are relatively straight in comparison but, importantly, add balance to the record.
All these details come together for what for me is the standout track in Cold Seas. This has more vocal percussion, some jangly African-style guitar ,female backing vocals from Siobhan Wilson and trumpet (Ben Hillman) to create a joyful fusion contrasted by some dark lyrics about needles and bloody bruises. Put all this together and it sounds like a Gothic Graceland!
Stafford runs his own record label (Wiseblood Industries) from Glasgow but has opted to release this album through the Edinburgh-based label Song, By Toad (and in the US through Kingfisher Bluez) in order to widen its distribution potential.
Although he regards it as a companion piece to his debut solo release, Build A Harbour Immediately, he has described it as "less downbeat - more propulsive and electric". Electric AND eclectic, I'd say.
Either way it marks a great leap forward and one that will hopefully win him the broader recognition he so richly deserves.
Wise Blood Industries website
Adam Stafford on Tumblr
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