Colin Stetson: New History Warfare Vol. 3: To See More Light (Constellation, 4/30/13)
Do an image search for Colin Stetson and the result is rows and rows of the man wielding a five-foot monstrosity of brass known as the bass saxophone. But the spectacle of his horn is just the beginning of Stetson’s story — a jumping-off point for exploring new sonic territory.
Stetson’s third album, titled New History Warfare, Volume 3: To See More Light, finds the serial collaborator (Tom Waits, Bon Iver, Arcade Fire) summoning familiar sounds, with quick fingering and splintering lows lending a simultaneously soaring and claustrophobic feel. His performance employs circular breathing and numerous sax-mounted microphones to capture an array of droning and rhythmic sounds all on one track, with next to no studio magic.
The major change between this and prior efforts is the use of overdubbing for vocal tracks, which feature contributions from Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon. The difference made by Vernon’s harmonies (and growls on “Brute”) is immediately noticeable, elevating tracks that might have sounded lacking into the realm of the haunting and sublime.