JEFF PARKER
Forfolks (International Anthem)
Sitting somewhere between jazz, ambient and experimental electronica, Forfolks from Jeff Parker is a gentle, impressionistic work, one that palpably exudes an air of artistic freedom. Best known as the long-standing guitarist of Chicago post-rock/jazz/experimental group Tortoise, Forfolks sees Parker transcend the limitations of popular music in favour of something unbound by structure, tone or even genre.
Following Forfolks‘ tangents is never anything besides compelling. Suffolk is especially captivating, with looping, plucked guitars blinking and filtering like synapses across its creator’s brain. Flour Of Fur is similarly beautiful, backed by an omnipresent synth note that gives the track a hypnotic and meditative aura. Parker shows off his guitar chops on his cover of the jazz standard My Ideal, but the more interesting moments are when he uses his guitar in a less flashy and more painterly manner and reveals himself to be a masterful organiser of transcendent, soulful sound.
words TOM MORGAN