Is All Over the Map [25th Anniversary Edition]

Personnel: Howe Gelb (vocals, guitar, piano); Indiosa Patsy Jean Gelb, Henriette Sennenvaldt, Sofie Albertsen Gelb, Marie Frank, Scout Niblett, Vic Chesnutt (vocals); Anders Pedersen (guitar, lap steel guitar); John Parish (National guitar, Mellotron, drums); Eric Drew Feldman (organ); Thoger T. Lund (upright bass, electric bass); Peter Dombernowsky (drums, percussion).
Audio Remasterer: Jim Blackwood.
Liner Note Authors: Howe Gelb; John Parish.
Recording information: Feedback Recording, Aarhus; Harvey's House, Tucson; Sun Studio, Copenhagen.
Photographer: Bill Carter .
With 2004's IS ALL OVER THE MAP, Giant Sand mastermind Howe Gelb turns in another album of atmospheric, off-kilter, and always-surprising rock. (This was Giant Sand's first record in decades without the rhythm section of Joey Burns and John Convertino, who decided to focus their band, Calexico, on a full-time basis.) While, at his core, Gelb is a troubadour with an acoustic guitar, and his poetic lyrics--full of detail, human suffering, and scenic landscapes--wouldn't sound out of place in a candlelit coffeehouse, his adventurous aesthetic encompasses punk, country, rockabilly, grunge, and experimental music.
Gelb's stylistic collage is compelling both sonically and stylistically. Country-rock is blended with shuffling, quirky pop ("Fool"), blues is buried by stadium-ready guitars ("Remote"), and Gelb's breathy baritone alternates with nerve-scraping distortion ("Classico"). The vibe is lilting and often meditative, but rocks like no ones business when you least expect it. Gelb's genre whiplash doesn't stop with the pop and rock canon: "Napoli" works a tango groove, "Les Forcats Innocents" recalls French cabaret pop, and, on "Rag," Gelb plays a ragtime piano. Such a mixed bag might seem confusing, but the sensibility on IS ALL OVER THE MAP is remarkably cohesive, resulting in something difficult to define, and even harder to resist.