It’s hard to imagine that one with a voice so reminiscent of Elvis Costello could make music that so… isn’t. John Wesley Harding’s Awake is a folk album.
Big, cracked-crystal pop songs with as many noises crammed in as a Sonic Youth or a Hendrix record, but with a steady eye on the perfection of the landscape.
Opener is 13 minutes of No Wave noise-jazz, and is completely instrumental. The next track is a Super 5 Thor mirror, all reverbed guitar and despairing voice.
Space Needle are not boring pop. They’re one of the most satisfying and challenging bands around, and if the pop’s there, it’s anything but ostentatious.