NNA Tapes has made a name for itself putting out an astonishing range of high quality releases, ranging from Guerrilla Toss’ Smash The Brick cassette to a Oneohtrix Point Never split release with LA-based Rene Hell. Somewhere in the midst of this spectrum is The Holy Life That’s Coming, the upcoming LP from Vermont’s Chris Weisman. The first released track is the pensive and pleasantly off-kilter “Don’t Be Slow”. In many ways, it makes sense for Weisman to be releasing his music with NNA – although his subdued singer-songwriter music never reaches the sheer volume of Oneohtrix or Guerrilla Toss, in his own way he is as much a virtuoso as anyone else on the label.
Most of Weisman’s music is made with a single guitar, with a smattering of keyboard here or there, but it is in no sense less accomplished. On “Don’t Be Slow”, Weisman uses meandering guitar line to create every bit as much texture as a full band, with each note being almost pleasantly discordant in relation to his vocal harmonies. “Don’t Be Slow” is resolutely hymnal and when inflecting down, and then up on the lyrics “if you go, don’t be slow, if you leave, it will be”, Weisman provides a clear image of the landscape from which he is giving us these missives. Weisman records on a 4-track cassette recorder, which gives his music a distinct warmth that comes through regardless of the sometimes morose lyrical content – the combination makes “Don’t Be Slow” perfect for the impending February gloom.
The Holy Life That’s Coming is out on NNA Tapes February 26th.
