The Giant's Dream
Idiomatic allograph
Nomethod
A lot of people in my circle aren't that keen on instrumental music, so I sometimes feel like a weirdo for digging it so much. But I really love the versatility of good instrumental work: you can play it at home while cleaning or working at the computer, you can play it in the car and, if it's good enough, it'll even stand up to headphone listening. This 6-song disc by The Giant's Dream passes the muster for me. It's not a flashy disc; in fact, it's rather subtle and low-key. But it's a pleasant, relaxing listen. The pulsing keyboards and slightly off-kilter percussion of "Continuum" are just a little proggy, with enough variation in its relatively minimal arrangement to keep your attention. The crisply arranged title track works wonders in just two and a half minutes. But the two finest tracks are "Empyrean," which seems absolutely lit from within the way the guitar, percussion and occasional plaintive piano complement each other and "glow" with confidence, and the delightful "Forward," a little gem of a piece that makes the most of its warm, ambling acoustic guitar and a few dollops of mellow synth. Nothing groundbreaking here, but "Idiomatic allograph" is a well-produced, soft-focus little platter that goes down nice and easy, just like a perfectly blended mixed drink on a cool summer evening.
- Kevin Renick
