Huge Fluid Freedom

Album Review

The electric howl and buzz that starts Huge Fluid Freedom shows that Sean Smith, having taken a full electric guitar bow on album via Citay's Dream Get Together the previous year, isn't content to simply be known for his acoustic work on the solo front — and the clipped, frenetic drumming and guitar that soon follow in "I Know You Are Tired, But..." further underscore it. Smith's more familiar sound returns a little bit later, but Huge Fluid Freedom clearly is a statement of purpose as much as just a title, a rampaging openness within the realm of guitar. The role models over previous decades are clear enough given the increasing interest in parallel explorations of acoustic and electric work — Flying Saucer Attack, Ghost, Six Organs of Admittance, and more could all be named. But Smith's specific sense here is one of careful procession in the four songs; it's not quite as freewheeling as it sounds, not locked down completely either, but carefully compiled, like a DJ mix. The big macho metal start of "The Real" is definitely eye-opening in its own right but the title track might be the real winner in terms of Smith finding his new boundaries, overlaid guitar parts and more always seeming to be on the verge of meandering before taking another gentle but definite turn to a new melody or different sound, like the alternately playful then majestic soloing over the motorik beat that kicks in toward the end. There might be a meaning to calling a song "Ourselves When We Are Real" that features acoustic guitar from the start, pretty and resonant but still a bit stern in feeling, though opening up midway with a lovely, almost circular progression that draws the listener in to the full.