Pelt Reticence / Resistance

For almost thirty years and over the course of countless releases, the American band Pelt has traversed non-idiomatic improv, Eastern-tinged psychoacoustic drones. The group once counted among its ranks the late guitarist Jack Rose, whose spirit continues to imbue Pelt's music with a sound that is as forward-thinking as it is refreshingly unpretentious. "Reticence Resistance" was recorded in London over two nights in 2017 and is focused on piano, harmonium, fiddle, percussion, banjo, harmonium, bowls, and bells. The pieces as mesmerizing, harmoniously advancing and receding, at first almost imperceptibly, recalling Coltrane's improvisations circa 'India' as much as it does ocean currents and lapping waves. Pelt clearly possess a firm grasp of the American folk vernacular, and similarly honor this history without resorting to pastiche or cliché - "Reticence Resistance" is a crucial document of Ever Weird America, and quite possibly the band's finest work to date.