Arizona Amp And Alternator-Arizona Amp And Alternator(Thrill Jockey)

Arizona Amp and Alternator, or 4 A’s is one of Howe Gelb’s (Giant Sand) side projects which this time feautres M Ward, Scoutt Niblett, Grandaddy, Jeremy Gara (Arcade Fire), Marie Lorette Friis, Herniette Sennenvaldt...A sexy cowboy-esq “Hello darling” opens this record in accordance with the folky “I’ll keep you warm” feeling you get like a fuzzy bluegrass intro to the following surprise, an absolutely alluring jazzy, soothing bossanova tune, “Where the wind turns the skin to leather” in Howe Gelb’s manner and hushed-vocals. What follows is “AAAA”, a song you get in four different versions throughout the album, its lyrics alone could define Arizona Amp and Alternator’s sound much better than my review in fact “White man think you’re black, black one thinks you’re white, country man thinks you’re rock, and rockers say it just ain’t right, do you alternate their between, coming up with the best sound anyone has seen...and that’s my country.” Only well...it’s not really country...That’s the whole irony with AAAA appearing in completely different sound arrangements, and those exact lyrics. And that’s why I love Howe Gelb so much. Traffic’s cover Low spark of high heeled boys, is followed by “Man on a string”, a duet with Herniette Sennenvaldt, who’s worked with Gelb on his previous records (“The Listener”’s Torque(Tango de la Tongue)...Another quality duet is that of Matt Ward and Marie Lorette Friis on “Baby it’s cold outside”, additionally M Ward makes another appearance on one of the AAAA’s with Howe Gelb, where the music arrangement is the recognizable M Ward sound. The record finishes with a Recital (I think Scout Niblett’s) followed by intense drumming by Jeremy Gara on “The leaving you”, also somehow relating to Scoutt Niblett’s characteristic solo sound. All in all, AAAA offers a truly amazing, unique sublime of many talented artists, brimming with improvisation and charm. Fantastic for a band with “no members in it”(as stated in the sleeve).