There’s a rich history of ‘heavy’ rock adherents switching up and embracing the more ambient side of musical life. This isn’t that outlandish, of course, given the obvious overlap in meditative intensity and emotional depth inherent in both music that is relentlessly dark and noise-driven and music that is cosmic and ethereal. In fact, it’s in this very space that we find Norman Westberg, long-time (on and off) guitarist with original art-rock daddies Swans. No stranger to ambient composition and with several such releases under his belt, it is to this familiar territory that he has returned for his latest album, Milan. 

Westberg is Detroit-born. Home of proto-punk and a significant underground rock heritage that infuses the blood of anyone who claims to originate from there. On moving to New York in his early twenties, Westberg proudly took this aesthetic with him and threw himself into the burgeoning world of experimental rock and punk, first as a member of Carnival Crash and then when he joined up with Swans, thanks to a serendipitous meeting with the band’s bassist Harry Crosby - and just in time to record their long-player debut Filth. His history with the band has been one of ups and downs to say the least – appearing on most of their albums, rejoining in 2010, then leaving six years later, all the while continuing to collaborate with his art rock brethren both in and out of Swans. He also started to dip his toes in the water as a solo performer but wasn’t much impressed with his early efforts and decided to give himself over to the will of his instrument instead, “plugging all of his effects boxes into all of his tiny amps and let the guitar do what it wanted, only manipulating the boxes.” It wasn’t really until 2016 when invited by Lawrence English to tour Australia, that Westberg’s ambient side really began to take off - the pair developing a reciprocal working relationship that saw English producing Westberg’s After Vacation and Short Songs for the Long Winter and Westberg contributing guitar to English’s next run of albums.  

Now, the duo has returned for the next chapter in Westberg’s ambient journey, Milan. Separated into seven tracks, this album is essentially one long-form piece – each of the ‘tracks’ simply introducing a new dimension to a beautifully-paced, cosmic trip that leans on Westberg’s art-rock background and guitar-based musical prowess but is set in a framework of subtle experimentation and nuance.

Beginning with the aptly titled ‘An Introduction’ a typically steady atmospheric drone comprised of synthetic notes and interstellar voices (?) that both lull and pulsate before segueing into ‘A Particular Tuesday’ where the ambient whirr is replaced as dominant fixture by the guitar. A deep booming bass is introduced on ‘The Early Middle’, the guitar becoming increasingly harmonious with a hint of orchestral subtext until we reach ‘All of Them’ where Westberg's chosen instrument becomes more discordant and assured with looping guitar-bass interaction. ‘After Vacation’ is the denouement - at times sounding like the Velvets, at others Bobby Beausoleil and William Tyler, this is marvellous - an utterly charming experiment in ambience.