Sumach Ecks has always stood out on his own. Back in 2010, debut album A Sufi and A Killer found many thrilling to the sinister, smokey, psychedelic desert blues he was cooking up in between giving yoga classes.
Listening to Callus, though, it’s clear that Ecks has done some hard living in the last few years and the songs are attempts at catharsis as he deals with events across both his homeland and his own personal universe.
It’s dark, dissonant, raw and desolate, a collection of tracks which are often on the edge of collapse as Ecks pulls at the various threads holding them together.
Occasionally, there are hints and traces of a different album – Vinaigrette and Ole Man Sufferah are strong in structure and melody – but this is a piece of work where Ecks wants to let it all hang out.
A challenging, chaotic release. warp.net
