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'Miles of Twine takes country-blues-folk at its finest and adds awe-inspiring cello, bar banter wisdom and a few wild cards for good measure, hearkening back to a mythical time when men were men, moonshine flowed freely and a musician couldn't get by if he didn't play a mean fiddle and whistle For a Fistful of Dollars in his sleep.
The band, which showcases the talents of multi-instrumentalist Paul Fonfara, touring partner with Jim White and sometime member of too many Denver bands to mention, also features members of Tarantella, 16 Horsepower and Woven Hand. With such a well of skill to draw upon, many records would end up a hodge-podge of half-realized ideas, but the Painted Saints keep a good balance between down-home charm and exquisite melody. From the title track's relatively simple buzzing plucked viola, more Earl Scruggs than classical, to more intricate arrangements such as Kerosene's winding desert caravan ride (resplendent with clarinet and glissando strings), not a single track misses its mark. Even the tunes that push the six minute mark don't grow old easily; To Answer Monotone's acrobatic violin ranks among the album's best moments (an achievement in itself).
Fonfara's lyrical persona resembles the drunk at the saloon bar who's seen it all. In Company Town, he morosely says, They'll kick you in the balls when you're two feet tall, but he isn't too cynical to wax nostalgic in the aforementioned To Answer Monotone.
Painted Saints occasionally veer off their dusty roots-based track. The wailing bowed saw in Barbed Wire and Tin creates an expansive but desolate mood. This ultimately gives way to a Tom Waits circus soundtrack -- all theremin and what sounds like creaking gramophone records. While tempos and ambience vary from the frenetic Tex-Mex of the bizarrely-named The Volvo King of New York to Cardboard and Silence Saved Us Again's languid Dirty Threeisms and louche whistling, the record maintains a remarkably coherent feel, held together by excellent playing.
Miles of Twine is not merely an excellent, evocative album, but something rarer -- one of those hair-on-the-back-of-your-neck recordings that comes out of nowhere and inhabits your CD deck for weeks. Let's hope it gets a wider release.
'~ splendid ezine 'Painted Saints is the brainchild of multi-instrumentalist and music journeyman Paul Fonfara. After years of playing other people’s songs, Fonfara decided to break out on his own and in 2003, with the help of many friends, recorded the wonderful album Miles of Twine, self-released on the band’s Edward Gorey inspired faux-label Sopping Thursday Records. Miles of Twine comes in a slimline jewel case complete with great black and white drawings and a glossy double sided piece of color artwork which all fits perfectly with the band’s sound. Why this album wasn’t released on a bigger label is a mystery especially considering the connections Fonfara has made over the years playing with the likes of 16 Horsepower and Jim White or touring with Wilco and Lucinda Williams. One would expect this record to find wider release in the future. In any event, Painted Saints play live either as a three piece or with Fonfara playing solo. He describes the band’s sound as coming from the “spaghetti western, alt-country, sad bastard school of music.” While alt-country has become a dirty word, thankfully the Painted Saints never delve into that genre’s done-to-death formula. The formula on Miles of Twine is simply amazing original music. One will also be surprised to hear as much Eastern European influence in the Painted Saints sound as Western American. This comes from Fonfara and his friends’ use of such eclectic instrumentation like violins, cellos, clarinet, upright bass, saw and of course guitar and more. Painted Saints, as their name makes clear, do play a sad style of music, ballad heavy and beautiful constructed to the point of sounding like a folk orchestra. And, indeed, the band is no stranger to orchestration having recorded several scores for museum and radio shows. Fonfara’s voice is simple and subtle, almost an afterthought as the band’s multi-layered compositions fit perfectly in the forefront. Painted Saints take many traditional styles and create a highly organic experimental blend of wonderous sound. While often down-tempo and melancholic, songs like Kerosene see the band play gypsy-influenced, upbeat and whimsical music as well. In a world where many bands are using electronic experimentation to push the traditional folk envelope, it is more than refreshing to hear a band from Denver (i.e. not Brooklyn of San Francisco) play without the use of high-tech gizmos, proving that musicians can still create original and amazing sounds the old fashioned way. And that is, ultimately, the greatest triumph of Miles of Twine, that while traditional in so many respects, its originality isn’t of the 21st century but rather an astounding amalgam of so many different times, cultures and sounds. Organic experimentalism is alive and well with many thanks to Fonfara and his amazing cast of other Painted Saints. '~ uncommon folk |
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