One Far West - Blue Sun Meadow

 Released: March 6

In his his first album in a few years, One Far West (the project of electronic composer John Wilkins) brings us a wonderfully compiled collection of hazy ambient drifts that examine past memories. The album hangs out deeply in the realm of ambient and drone, incorporating field recordings in some rather creative and poignant ways. A standout in this respect is “Countryside Depot,” which opens up with that slow grinding opening of some kind of large door, instantly painting an industrial tinged picture despite its country adjacent name. The atmosphere on this song feels conflicted, as if it is unsure of where it actually is as it bounces between ambient vibes and something more cacophonous. But the strange tension in this track is something that feels rather unique while still fitting into the framework of the larger project. 

Stepping back on the album, “Dream Memories” stands out as well for the emphasis on noisy and distorted drones that combine with a hazy tape loop which help glue things together. But it’s the sweeping amount of the sweeping distorted drones along with the rather harmonics that result from the distortion effect. It feels like it may tear itself apart at any moment though it never actually does. At the end of the album, we get the most serendipitous of finales with “Rabbit.” It’s one of those tracks that feels light and sparse, while also being densely packed with sounds. A gentle pad carries the track along peacefully as various pieces of field recordings collect around it, painting an idyllic picture of a natural forest-scape with a deep warm yellow glow. 

The assemblage of these disparate pieces of sound is top notch throughout Blue Sun Meadow. Even at its moments where it feels like it is going to be edgier and harsher, it retains a certain relaxed approach that mirrors the calmer pieces of the album. Overall, it is a relaxing and rather spacious listen that it fairly various and even has a few tracks that feel like surprising but well-fitted inclusions.