Joan of Arc, presents Oh Brother (side C)

Joan of Arc at this point defines a floating collection of musicians who surround leader Tim Kinsella.  After a series of relatively coherent and focused records under the name, Oh Brother is the first record to break this pattern in awhile.  In concept, it more closely resembles 2005's Guitar Duets.  Here Kinsella appears throughout, improvising with a series of changing line-ups tidily edited together.  One line-up features a large ensemble of regular JoA collaborators.  These sections appear alongside two duets (one with Robert Lowe of Lichens on electronics, the other with jazz percussionist Frank Rosaly) and a small ensemble featuring Jeff Bradbury from Need New Body.  The performances are generally recorded in primitive, lo-fi fashion.  The music emphasizes Kinsella's abstract and angular approach to guitar playing as it travels through a series of changing contexts.  The editing is both technically transparent and creatively well-executed, so it helps to unite the morphing styles.  The simple, abstract black-and-white drawings on the cover are tasteful and appropriate.