Beyond & Between

Beyond & Between sounds like no other Daniel Higgs solo album. It was recorded over three days at a studio in the small town of Sant Feliu de Guíxols on the western coast of Spain, where he was accompanied by multi-instrumentalist Marc Clos. “Track 1” opens with Higgs improvising on his banjo before Clos comes in with thundering percussion and a bass-like instrument with strings that rattle and hum. The sound of a reel starting up in “Track 2” reveals that this album was recorded on analog tape. Here Higgs inflects with a trilling warble akin to Devendra Banhart's, but toward the song's end there are more aggressive moments recalling his tenure with Lungfish. Clos imports marimba on “Track 3,” giving the song a cultural dimension, before “Track 4” is a banjo and percussion instrumental (this time playing a pattern that closely mirrors an eastern raga). Higgs’ unsettling croon in “Track 6” is matched by his lyrics about destroying the Bible. The haunting vocal harmonies and a seductive “Bolero” rhythm make this a standout.