Top Bar
Musique Machine Logo Home ButtonReviews ButtonArticles ButtonBand Specials ButtonAbout Us Button
SearchGo Down
Search for  
With search mode in section(s)
And sort the results by
show articles written by  
 Review archive:  # a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z

Jeff Gburek - The Watermark [Orphan Sound - 2012]

Jeff Gburek's "The Watermark" is an album of sparse, loosely structured ethereal 'neofolk' guitar playing, backed by an organic carpet of bioluminescent improvisatory ambient electronics.  He has been around since 2005, but this is my first exposure to his work.

Gburek's playing is not particularly precise or technical in nature, indeed the essence of his music appears to be very impromptu.  His tone is clean and drenched in reverb, he plays quietly but expressively, nostalgically, and unthinking, as if he could be drunk.  All the tracks are dreamy, at times maudlin introspections which explore similar realms of expanded consonance as jazz fusion, leaning heavily on the minor keys.

The first of the 8 tracks is absolutely wonderful, and the vibrant sounding of the acoustic seems to be glowing.  The several melodic themes are equally beautiful and poignant, and 6 minutes nearly feels too short.  There's a very authentic woodsy, pagan feel to this track.

From there the albums tends into a slower, quieter, sparser direction, and Gburek frequently lets notes hang in space for seconds on end.  Themes are vaguely repeated before trailing into space, and tonal grounding is not as easy to find, but the underlying chord structures are still perceptible beneath the spiralling arpeggi.  The haunting feeling of this music recalls a foggy cemetery, and the quieter passages of older Opeth songs.

The album's weakness is that between the inspired moments there is long passages of what could be aimless bedroom noodling, time wasted where meaning could have taken hold.  Beautiful as the sound of Gburek's guitar is, the record grows monotonous without any variation from the formula.  I find myself wishing he had not insisted on keeping the energy level quite so low.  The album is too slow for active listening in most cases.  I find it better suited for sleeping.

Luckily, the 7th movement does break up the monotony significantly, focusing on a shimmering, flickering high frequency pattern that mirrors a moaning, quavering voice.  It's a truly beautiful track that captures the essence of the nocturnal.  If you're in the mood for a lot of uneventful quiet and silence, this album can be a rare pleasure.

In conclusion, this album has a lovely folksy nostalgic vibe, some very pleasant and memorable chord progressions and ideas, but could use a bit more structure, direction and diversity, maybe even a vocalist.

Rating: 3 out of 5Rating: 3 out of 5Rating: 3 out of 5Rating: 3 out of 5Rating: 3 out of 5

Josh Landry
Latest Reviews

Jeff Gburek - The Watermark
Jeff Gburek's "The Watermark" is an album of sparse, loosely structured ethereal 'neofolk' guitar playing, backed by an organic carpet of bioluminescent impr...
080126   My Name Is 'A' by Anonymous ...
080126   You’re All Doomed - You’r...
080126   Abscess - Dawn Of Inhumanity(...
080126   The House With Laughing Windo...
080126   The Killer Must Kill Again - ...
060126   Whore's Breath - A Pot to Pis...
060126   Sebastian Tomb/Angel Brügger...
060126   Dirk Serries - 250804
050126   Kahil El'Zabar's Ethnic Herit...
050126   The Sun Ra Arkestra Under The...
Latest Articles

Creepy Images Books - Killer Art
Of all the cult/exploitation genres, Giallo stands as one of the more visually & art-based- be it with the grand/ dramatic location, choreographed murder...
231225   Creepy Images Books - Killer Art
221225   Best Of 2025 - Music, Sound &...
041225   The Spectral Sounds of The Pr...
281025   Michael Hurst Interview - Unb...
071025   Xiphos - The Rise And Fall Of...
030925   Third Window Films - A Label ...
130825   HNW fest- Barcelona- 12th Apr...
250725   Raté interview - Walled-in F...
180625   Matthew Holmes - Of razor-sha...
280525   The Residents - Visits From T...
Go Up
(c) Musique Machine 2001 -2025. Twenty four years of true independence!! Mail Us at questions=at=musiquemachine=dot=comBottom