Land Observations - The Grand Tour

Land Observations
The Grand Tour
28 July 2014
Mute

4 stars out of 5

 

Land Observations in the project of James Brooks, former guitarist with the London-based instrumental post-rock band Appliance. The Grand Tour is his second solo LP, its theme being the traditional means by which the middle and upper classes of England would educate their university-aged young in the ways of the world: sending them off unaccompanied on a grand tour of the continent. Titles reflect the rather rigid circuit that comprised the journey: “Flatlands and the Flemish Roads,” “Nice to Turin,” “The Brenner Pass.” Inspired by Brooks’s research into the history of the phenomenon, which represents the beginnings of tourism as a pastime, The Grand Tour draws from both his musical and fine arts backgrounds for its structure and textures.

All of the tracks were created using a single electric guitar and looping pedals, with the exception of very subtle percussion and keyboard parts here and there. Musically, the album seems to be at odds with its subject matter, invoking not the romantic image of the young lads at large in the cafés and brothels of France and Italy, but rather the computer-coordinated machinations of high-speed railways. The music is very contemporary, composed of straight lines, slight variations on ones and zeroes. While at times warm and human (“Return to Ravenna”), much of The Grand Tour seems to revisit Kraftwerk’s Trans Europa Express in terms of mood—rather than long nostalgically for a bygone era, the music celebrates the modern realities of inter-city travel. While listening to this record I keep expecting to hear a clear, confident woman’s voice (with a sexy German accent, of course) reciting things overtop the music like, “Deutsche Bahn: Germany is getting smaller.”

The Grand Tour is exciting in its reserved minimalist approach to instrumental guitar music. Emphasizing its intent an exercise in songwriting technique rather than useless virtuosity, it succeeds where many other instrumental records fail miserably. Recommended for your next journey by train, watching the country zoom past the window.

reviewed by Richard Krueger