Letters

A year and a half after Toronto guitarist Aidan Baker's debut comes Letters. He continues to develop his art of the ambient soundscape, pushing both arrangements and atmospheres further. Element featured rather stripped-down pieces played on prepared guitar. This time around, Baker adds bass, tapes, and occasional cymbals and vocals. The pieces are lusher and more engulfing. The network of symbols and references this CD establishes also gives it an extra dimension. The disc comes packaged in a light handmade cardboard sleeve depicting a collage of letters attributed to Jack the Ripper. The title of the first track, "The Letters of Your Name Are Still a Scar on My Ears," paraphrases poet Octavio Paz speaking of Marquis de Sade. This juxtaposition of deviant sexual activity and a form of writing usually associated with love describes the music surprisingly well. Baker has created two extended ambient pieces (23 minutes each) standing somewhere between the comfortable and the harsh — occasionally both at the same time. His whispering voice is placed deep into the mix, making his words barely understandable. The listener focuses his attention, immersing himself further into the spiraling guitar wails. Then a buildup occurs; the loops pick up some distortion or signal overload; and things get messy, harsh, and this close to violent before they settle down again as if nothing had happened. The only shortfall is the production, which is sufficient at best. With a wider stereo mix and clearer definition, this CD could be devastating. ~ François Couture, Rovi