Exposé print issues (1993-2011)
Janel and Anthony — Where Is Home
(Cuneiform Rune 338, 2012, CD)
This is Washington DC-based duo Janel Leppin and Anthony Pirog’s second album, and first on Cuneiform. Their eponymous debut from 2006 was self-produced and sold well at gigs, garnering loads of attention for this pair of busy musicians (this is but one of many projects they are involved with). This collection of instrumentals mixes Anthony’s diverse range of guitar stylings with Janel’s deep classical and non-European cello capabilities. She occasionally picks up a guitar herself, as on the leadoff track “Big Sur,” that blends Byrds-ish jangly guitar with energetically articulated lines that call to mind King Crimson. The songs serve as a sort of biographical journal of Janel and Anthony’s travels, either individually or from their touring experiences. Hence titles like “Auburn Road” and “’Cross the Williamsburg Bridge.” The listener will detect feelings of wanderlust, restlessness and ennui coming from the pieces, with a scope that rarely expands beyond the two musicians and an occasional backing track or two. Both have deep reservoirs of talent, demonstrated by traces of surf guitar wafting from “Leaving the Woods” or the looping soundscapes layered to form the dreamy vibe of “Stay with Me.” An expanded palette is explored on “A Viennesian Life,” including lap steel, harpsichord and Mellotron. But even in the bigger-sounding pieces, there’s a charming intimacy involved, as if these two are sharing their innermost thoughts and experiences. That they do this without a word being sung speaks volumes about the quality of the performances and the overall production. Highly recommended.
by Paul Hightower, Published 2013-11-16
by Jon Davis, Published 2013-04-01
Filed under: New releases, 2012 releases
Related artist(s): Janel and Anthony, Janel Leppin, Anthony Pirog
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