Black Oak Dirt: Wawayanda Patent

Jesse Jarnow on April 9, 2014

Superjam records come and superjam records go, and Wawayanda Patent—credited to Black Dirt Oak—has at least one leg up on the competition for its complete absence of guitar shredding or anything resembling a blues-rock solo. The sextet, whose most marquee name is Kurt Vile-accompanying acoustic/electric picker Steve Gunn, emits a cloud of ghostly, textural Americana-anchored improvisation. Banjos cut (“From the Jaguar Priest”), saxophones moan in a drum machine swamp (“Demon Directive”) and guitars gallop stridently over helium drone vocals (“Peeled Egg Cigarette”). Weird stuff is happening out in these woods, and perhaps far too decadently for most, but the overloaded band contains a half-dozen real voices, each seemingly happy to whisper shape-taking thoughts into the ever-changing fog.

Artist: Black Oak Dirt
Album: Wawayanda Patent
Label: MIE