David Grubbs
An Optimist Notes the Dusk
Drag City

It's been more than 4 years since David Grubbs' last solo effort, A Guess at the Riddle, a record I really enjoyed, really enjoy. Every time I put it on. So, this made me quite excited when getting my hands on this his latest effort, An Optimist Notes the Dusk.

An Optimist... is sparse, low and quiet, like a lot of Grubbs' music. His lyrics are poem like. Quite unlike other pop/rock lyrics. Well, that's just like his songs are - different from most others. Yet, I do miss some of the minor pop hooks from his last album. Then again, David Grubbs creates discreet, gentle and tender music, as heard with the opening "Gethsemani Night", as well as the following "An Optimist Declines". "Holy Fool Music" has got a quicker beat and some more temperature, but it still is a low-floating/low-flying piece of music. The album goes further into abstract landscapes as it spins on, especially with the long-stretched closing piece "The Not-So Distant" - being mere sketches of sound colours.

This is not easy listening, but it's not that hard either. It's different, not difficult. And, in fact with an underlying optimistic tone.

Copyright © 2008 Håvard Oppøyen