Album Details

• Artist: Knitting By Twilight
• EP:
Riding The Way Back
• Label: Twilight Time
• Year of Release: 2009
• ME Rating:
• Reviewed by: patchen on 2009-07-16

Those expecting the benevolent tones of the slightly psych and drone typical of Knitting By Twilight may find "Riding The Way Back." I hope so. For here the Providence band ups the volume, exploring more harsh sounds, but still retaining that mild grace that has fueled their other releases. The guitars bring the noise with melody and bite, while still allowing one to get lost in the songs' atmosphere, a band trademark.

These are tracks that were left off earlier releases, the feeling being that, while they didn't fit projects at the time, they might work as a separate set down the line.  The Orsi's (John on drums and keys, Karen on guitar) are joined in the ordered chaos by Manny Silva on bass and Mike Marando, who contributed a bit of acoustic guitar touches here and there.  "Shiver" and "Mik's Glacier Now Playing" kick off the record with shimmering guitars, shivering ambient feel, and a slight psych sense of adventure. Two versions of "she's Here" showcase the depth of idea that surrounded this haunting but majestic tune.

"Blue Ink for Fountain Pens" is a louder, heavier vision of the title track to one of their previous releases. This set ends with "Twirling Guitars and Glad Tambourines," which sounds exactly as you might picture a song with such a title.

In all, Knitting By Twilight show another impressive dimension to their humble, thoughtful catalogue. "Riding The Way Back" ought to be played loud, but even then it retains the gentle magic for which  the band is known.

User Reviews and Comments