Dire Wolves – Easy Portals (2023)

Review:
In the autumn of 2022, the core of DWLVS got together for a recording session at Santo Studios in Oakland, CA, the same studio that birthed the three most recent DWLVS albums, Grow Towards the Light (Beyond Beyond Is Beyond), I Just Wasn’t Made for These Set Times (Centripetal Force), and Paradisiacal Mind (Feeding Tube / Cardinal Fuzz). Because of the pandemic and group members relocating from San Francisco’s Bay Area to points all over the globe, DWLVS hadn’t played together, or even seen each other in person, since their 2019 European tour. Band organizer Jeffrey Alexander had moved to Philadelphia, drummer Sheila Bosco set off for Amsterdam, and violinist Ajrun Mendiratta had moved to the more remote confines of Northern California, leaving only bassist Brian Lucas in the immediate Bay. Like their last gathering at Santo in 2018, this 2022 session resulted in hours of rich material, the first of which is coming to light with Easy Portals. Outside of an odd cover song or two, DWLVS’ material has always been centered on improvisation and spontaneous composition. The making of Easy Portals was certainly no exception to this practice. And while the group’s layoff was long, their penchant for meditative and intriguing long form compositions has only strengthened in the interim. Even upon initial listen, you will hear the familiar tone and timbre of DWLVS. However, on this album there is also found a darker and more progressive slant to their communal approach, possibly the result of those pandemic days. Or the current geo-political state of the world. Or both. Whatever the case, and as reflected by the artwork, Easy Portals transports DWLVS to another musical dimension. Consistent with their practice of collaborating with other artists, DWLVS was sure to include friends new and old to the 2022 recording session. Easy Portals sees the return of Taralie Peterson (Spires That in the Sunset Rise, Tekla Peterson) on saxophone, as well as the arrival of J. Lee and Marina Lazzara (both of the San Francisco band The Rabbles, as well as Warm Spell, which also includes Brian Lucas). Lee, who plays farfisa organ and modular synth, and Lazzara, who offers voice and percussion, are a defacto Keith and Donna to the DWLVS lineup and serve as a key element in setting the tone around the sonic portals that lay before you. — bandcamp



Track List:
01. Your Confusion May Now Be Visible (04:51)
02. Easy Portals Suite (Prelude / Part 1: Softest Spot in the Ether / Part 2: Pico Unit Collapse) (17:20)
03. Every Star Is A Grain In Heat (06:12)
04. Their Heads Are Green (17:58)


Media Report:
Genre: alternative folk, psychedelic rock
Country: San Francisco, California, USA
Format: FLAC
Format/Info: Free Lossless Audio Codec
Bit rate mode: Variable
Channel(s): 2 channels
Sampling rate: 44.1 KHz
Bit depth: 16 bits
Compression mode: Lossless
Writing library: libFLAC 1.2.1 (UTC 2007-09-17)


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