A Song For Friday: Austin Wulliman

The string quartet has a new master. Also: Catherine Lamb x Ghost Ensemble, Private Cathedral, Kara-Lis Coverdale, The Vernon Spring, Laney Jones and the Spirits, MIKE & Tony Seltzer, and Kali Uchis

In 2023, JACK Quartet violinist Austin Wulliman released The News From Utopia, a “deeply involving collection of his own compositions.” Now he’s kicked things up a notch (as some TV chef used to say) by composing four pieces for string quartet and releasing them today in performances by the JACK. The album, Escape Rites, also includes Wulliman’s arrangement and adaptation of John Cage’s Totem Ancestor (1942), a brief piece for Merce Cunningham’s choreography.

One can imagine an uncomfortable moment where a member of a leading string quartet says, “Hey, friends, how about we play some of my music,” and they have to turn him down because the music isn’t good enough. That is not the case here! In fact, I can imagine Wulliman’s colleagues eager to sink their teeth into these richly textured works. His embodiment of the sonic possibilities of these instruments is so complete that sometimes they seem to become something else entirely, shapeshifting into glossy electronics or metallic objects vibrating in the wind.

But let’s focus on The Late Edition, the piece that opens the album. The breathless opening soon leads to a build-up of tension, with the violins (Christopher Otto, Wulliman) intent on eluding capture by the viola (John Pickford-Richards) and cello (Jay Campbell). Without a hint of submission from either duo, they join forces and are next chasing you - it’s like outrunning a bullet. Listen.

While I’m sure playing The Late Edition is no picnic, it seems at least approachable and should have a rich performance life beyond this glorious album. But anyone with even a passing interest in the modern string so dive deep into its riches, which includes the wonderfully whimsical artwork, created by Wulliman’s partner, Alex Sopp. Can anyone say, “Power couple”?

Hear most of the songs for Friday here or below.

Also Out This Week

Catherine Lamb x Ghost Ensemble - interius/exterius I would be the first to admit that Lamb’s music is not for everyone. Works like Prisma Interius VIII, 22 minutes of “long glassy lines that gradually intertwine,” make demands on patience that not all listeners can meet. But this new piece, developed in close collaboration with Ghost Ensemble, a spectacular nonet consisting of Margaret Lancaster, flute, Sky Macklay, oboe, Ben Richter, accordion, Lucia Stavros, harp, Chris Nappi, hammered dulcimer, Martine Thomas, viola, Tyler J Borden, cello, and James Ilgenfritz and Gregory Chudzik, contrabasses, may be her most accessible music yet. In several of the six movements, a low drone from the strings, accordion and oboe, provides a backdrop for the other instruments, especially the harp and hammered dulcimer, to deliver drops of mysterious delight, like sweet nectar falling on your tongue from a tropical flower. The intrigue never lets up and the superb recording is likely even more immersive on the signature vinyl pressing from Greyfade.

Private Cathedral - s/t Time and space are traversed in this nine-song debut from the art-song/chamber-pop duo of Wendy Spitzer (US) and Genevieve Dawson (UK). Spitzer (bass, piano, organs, marimba, oboe, English horn, backing vocals, and drum programming) and Dawson (lead vocals, piano, organs, and synths) contribute their compositional and instrumental talents, resulting in a singular sound exemplified in the first two tracks. I Am Not The Person That You Think I Am has a gently swinging rhythm driven by bass and hi-hat, which underpins layers of xylophone, piano, and synth. The second song accelerates off a propulsive piano part while still retaining a deftly light touch. Throughout the album, Spitzer and Dawson manage to thread the needle between complexity and airiness that makes all this smart stuff go down easy.

Kara-Lis Coverdale - From Where You Came On her first album since the 2020 expanded reissue of Grafts, the 2017 release I called “riveting,” Coverdale presents a series of rapturous and even utopian miniatures filled with gently intertwining synths of various tones and textures, along with cello (Anne Bourne) and trombone (Kalia Vandever). Her background as a church organist still underpins her work, leading to a sense of outreach, as if the different voices are coming together and getting to know each other. The harsh digital percussion of Offload Set, the eighth of 11 tracks, suggests that discordance is a natural part of society, and one that can be resolved. Intriguingly, the textures become even more dimensional after that point, making the case that respectful disagreement and tension can be an enriching force in life. Or maybe I just feel my own life has been enriched by Coverdale’s music.

The Vernon Spring - Under A Familiar Sun On his fourth album under this name, Sam Beste sends out songs that already seem like fond, distant memories. Earlier in his career, Beste was Amy Winehouse’s touring pianist, and his warm and soulful playing forms the core of many tracks. He also has guest vocalists, including Max Porter, Iko Niche, and Aden, on a few songs, each one fitting hand in glove into the fuzzy aura and adding a sense of community. Gather around The Vernon Spring, and you may find a certain spiritual thirst quenched.

Laney Jones and The Spirits - Our Vinyl Sessions Over a year ago, I celebrated the release of Stay At Home, a ripping single from Jones, and hoped that it was heralding a follow-up to her terrific Stories Up High album from 2022. We did get one more single and now there’s this four-song session, recorded live in a boxing ring, to stave off the growing hunger for more. The rawboned, driving performances, including a new version of 2023’s rapturous Waiting On You that trumps the original, suggests that live performance in any form is Jones’s natural state. In short, this kicks almighty ass. Maybe we can hope for a full-length live album?

MIKE & Tony Seltzer - Pinball II This sequel to last year’s Pinball comes out of the gate stripped down, even skeletal, with beats that sting like an open palm across the face. MIKE raps in his usual relaxed drawl, however, and the album gradually opens up and gets more abstract. The last two tracks, with their sparkling synths, a feature from Earl Swestshirt and MIKE more slurred than usual, end things on an intimate note, like a peek behind the curtain. This collaboration shows no signs of slowing down, and I would not complain about Pinball III.

Kali Uchis - Sincerely, The dreamy, melodic wonderland of Uchis’ fifth album defies my critical faculties. To deny its charms would be to deny the existence of pleasure itself. “How can you fall for someone as complicated and flawed as me?” she asks on Silk Lingerie. One listen to this series of swoons will give you all the answers you need.

Note: The graphic above is based on a photo by Alex Sopp. Power couple!

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