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December 10, 2024
Scott Foley, purveyor of dust
John Calvin Abney is one of those artists we've been following since The Early Days. In addition to serving as a sideman for artists like Wild Child, Samantha Crain, and John Moreland, Abney has also written and released a handful of his own indie-folk LPs, light-handed songs belying emotionally weighty lyrics. Abney took advantage of some recovery time following recent vocal surgery to rethink his approach to his craft, including shifting south from Oklahoma to Austin, and releasing a few instrumental collections speaking to his sharpening melodic sensibilities.
Abney has indicated that his new Shortwaving ep is the first of multiple new projects. This five-song collection finds him working with Lydia Loveless as co-producer, fronting a small ensemble of drummer Sam Brown and guitarist Todd May. Set to tape over one day, the sessions present Abney in as economical a setting as we've heard, forgoing much of his relative studio polish in favor of a more raw, coarse-grained product.
Always a sharp ear for pop melodicism (a'la Ron Sexsmith or Jeff Tweedy), the multi-instrumentalist leans into his roots-rock tendencies for Shortwaving. Abney has never crowded his songs, but past records have featured a tighter, more mannered vibe. The bluesy electric buzz and heavy drums of "No Place Left" sounds positively primitive in comparison, not unlike a moon-haunted Jason Molina track. The truth of our terrain, he begins, Lives in the space between / The strip malls and the rain / There's no place left. There's a claustrophobia to the song, the intrusive plastic prairie lights dividing and disjointing vistas. The EP's title cut projects this disruption onto an interpersonal sphere, a static that separates us: I'm the static on the state line / I'm collateral debris / I'm a whisper in a hurricane / Are you listening. Katie Harriman's supporting vocals are a lifeline in the gloom.
"Arkansas River Bridge" exchanges the electric guitar for acoustic, partnered with searching pedal steel. The mood continues downcast, however, the singer seemingly reaching out for connection: From the bridge I pull my biggest draw / From the tall black Tulsa midnight / Dry me in the dusty Arkansas / Warm me by a dying pilot light. These themes of separation and alienation carry through Abney's new session. Introducing a preliminary acoustic version of "Truckee River Blues" on his socials, Abney commented on the subject briefly, how it feels to grow older and see your geography become something less familiar. Layers of fuzz guitar and hissing ride cymbal crowd the tune, even as the songwriter's melodic verse pushes forward: Shine on sickle blade moon / It's too late to go too soon / I am tired and so are you.
John Calvin Abney has opened some recent shows for Hanson (yes, that Hanson), filling in for Matthew Sweet who is recovering from an unfortunate stroke. Like Sweet (and that Hanson), Abney understands melody and resonance. While these new songs hint at an evolution to his typically streamlined folk-pop, there's a real appeal to Shortwaving's unfiltered Abney, a directness that contributes to the EP's air of vulnerability. After years of discovering, then honing his craft, the songwriter recognizes the value of filling in artistic ruts, pushing against crutches, perhaps even leaving the familiar comforts of home. Of course, we find the noise and the sincerity gorgeous, embracing the beauty in the din, grateful for the salvation in the static.
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