TOMO - Butterfly Dream and Other Guitar Works

TOMO
Butterfly Dream and Other Guitar Works
(2010, Subvalent)
RIYL = James Blackshaw, Jack Rose, Loren Connors

TOMO, or Transcendental Organic Magical Objective, is the project/objective of a single Japanese sage who, through fingered dexterity, a sense of godly calm, and mystically impressive instrumental calisthenics has achieved his aim embedded in his name. As it is represented here, on Butterfly Dream and Other Guitar Works, TOMO has managed to flex his guitar (most usually of the 12 string variety, but also of through the use of 6 strings) most beautifully, unwearyingly, patiently and eternally, with what I imagine to be twelve fingered hands (though even these fingers, in their abundance, display patience, plucking and stretching the strings, each in their rightful turn), often atop the droning presence of TOMO’s hurdy gurdy, buzzing underneath, and then magically atop the perpetual performance. Organic? Yes. Transcendent? Yes. Magical? Absolutely. TOMO indeed. That TOMO lays out over an hour of genre melting, culture melting, stress melting tunes is simply a gift of unheralded proportions. TOMO’s work here is magic, pure and simple, extending far beyond the already impressive (understatement) grandeur of its 20+ minute title track, and off into the horizon. Don’t miss this album.

-Thistle

For a better review of this album and a music sample to boot, head over to my buddy at Anti-Gravity Bunny, here.