The press release mentions rivers of lava and a dip in a cold water creek: one track fire, the other water. The common denominator: flow.
Jen Powers plays hammered dulcimer, Matthew J Rolin guitar and sounds, the latter which we take to include percussion and more, a persistent shimmer granted the opening minutes of “Peridot.” At first, the album seems all texture, but the more one listens, the more one experiences the form. Even spontaneous music coalesces, just like lave becomes islands. As each side contains a single track, there’s no need to rush, so when the first Appalachian melody emerges after enough time has elapsed for a single, it’s still right on time, the clarity a happy contrast.
Rivers, whether fire or water, flow along, impassively ignorant of time. In the same way, one may lose one’s self in this music, allowing it to wash over the ears and to envelop a room. Peridot, also called chrysolite, is a transparent, olive-green gemstone, its color replicated on the unusual cover, which seems itself in motion, defying physics in multiple manners, suggesting both sex and space. The clearing may be the emergence from brush, musical density, or muddled thought; the flow of these pieces is an invitation to clear one’s mind.
“Albatross” seems a more foreboding title, because people conflate the elements of the mariner’s tale; the bird was hung around his neck as punishment for its murder. The real-life albatross is a cheerful, dancing bird, which can live as long as 50 years. Powers / Rolin Duo’s piece is reflective and lovely, again taking its time to develop, akin to the albatross’ lengthy path to sexual maturity. Does the bird wait so long to mate because it isn’t ready, because it isn’t interested, or because it has other goals it wants to accomplish first? The musical build-up doesn’t seem like a build-up, as it too is content to be where it already is. “Albatross” too will eventually reach its clearing: gentle tones that cascade through the closing minutes, like acceptance, like peace. (Richard Allen)
a closer listen 