Greg Davis, label manager of Autumn Records (who’s output on the label is quite varied with ambient undertones being the key factor in most releases), has opened his sound to the Carpark label with an interesting debut long player. Not your typical Carpark release with Arbor this time, however –a very monotone and relaxed feeling slips through each track on Arbor. A pensive journey through weaving sheets of electricity where the focus (as noted on the artwork) is arbor.
Arbor flows in a very delicate direction where you can rest peacefully in a thick forest of leaves. Treading through an area of electronics that silently propels itself forward with experiments in sound. Sounds that tend to grow on each other. It’s almost as if they intertwine amongst each other, but at the same time leaving you with thoughts of relaxation. The title track, “Arbor” flows inside sensitive guitar elements (much in line with Zammuto et al) molded to delicate bells all the way through while it continues to grow upon itself as if relaxed in front of a bonfire. “Walking Home” follows the same direction where in place of the delicately placed bells, you get softly chanted vocals spread out over a relaxed guitar solo. “Coventry”, a highlight track treads slight resemblance to some of the childhood memories that Boards of Canada have brought to their audience, but instead, Greg Davis blends his style in a thick layer of distorted bleeps and tweaks. While most of Arbor tends to roll around in various genres including solo guitar workouts, most of this album flows quite simply into guitar-based ambience with slight electronic effects dancing in the background. An interesting album for Greg Davis, and one that is sure to expand the non-genre-defined Carpark Records from the rest of the pack. Place yourself inside a forest of electrical debris and guitar-laden peacefulness, and you’ll find yourself enjoying this album in the late evenings quite easily.
