Review #11:

1X4X9 - Behind the Tree (Blue Arrow, 2023)

December 15, 2023

Greg Wooten, a.k.a. Uncle Power, a.k.a. the driving force behind the musical project 1X4X9, is a friend of mine. There's a lot I know about him: his generosity of time and spirit, his unwavering dedication to art in all its forms, his particular fondness for the bass stylings of Mick Karn. And yet there's certainly a lot I don't know about him, and I'd like to think that some of those gaps get filled in, if only obliquely, by listening to one of his records.

What follows is not a comprehensive review but some impressions and reflections on individual elements and moments on this carefully crafted journey:

"Swimming in the Flood"

First, Kamau Daáood’s words:

Sometimes you learn to swim

                                                          By almost drowning

Sometimes instead of trying to keep your head above water

                                                          You need to hold your breath

Sometimes rather than trying to swim

                                                          You need to learn to float

The spirit ride is a bumpy ride

                                                          Begins in light, ends in light

… complemented with a synth note that pays homage to Vangelis’ Blade Runner soundtrack. I can hear Greg’s love for the pure expanses of Talk Talk’s later work, as well as the powerful honesty of a record like Low’s Things We Lost in The Fire. What hits me from the start is the attention and craft that Greg puts into the mixing, arranging, and overall production of this music.

"Casa Forte"

An undeniable groove - drums and bass in the pocket, as with so many moments on this record. Drippy Compass Point style synths enter the scene (is that a Prophet, Greg? You know my love for Wally Badarou and his All Stars!) A running motif - soulful, tasteful guitar playing.

“Empty Well”

Makes me think of the fertile desert of a Sylvian solo record. Gauzy, reverberating saxophone sets the tone.

"It's Your Time"

Struck by the attention to touch, tone, and timbre throughout this whole album (the tremelo guitar!). The descending sixteenth note doublets of the piano. It occurs to me that many of the melodic / harmonic ideas on the album are related to the lyrics. The sound of moments falling away and becoming memories.

“Tornado”

The swirling, gentle but insistent repetition of the saxophone. Daáood’s voice again: “When earth and heaven hit the fan,” “Forced to face where one really stands.”

Again, there’s an illustrative quality that unites the words and the sounds. Then, the sequenced rhythms and cloudlike synth pads act as a perfect foundation for the dreamy interplay between fingerstyle and slide guitar.

“Letting Go”

The slide guitar – reminiscent of a gentle pedal steel moment on a 70’s Eno record.

“Do You Feel Her?”

The slow burn of a falsetto soul chorus, matched with an insistent rhythm and oil-slick funk guitar.

-----

Ultimately, what keeps me coming back to this immensely enjoyable record is its sense of balance. It's more than the sum of its parts - and certainly it's difficult to maintain this equilibrium when you're incorporating so many musical guests.

But what also floors me and makes me love and respect my friend is the vulnerability expressed in these songs, the rawness and emotion that hangs between your ears as you hear a song propelled by the repeated lines, “I can’t shield you / From how it feels / I can’t heal you.” A universal sentiment of love and care in the face of another’s inevitable suffering. Or a song that intones, “It’s your time / Empty it out / It’s your time / Fill it back up,” embracing the passage and flow of our endless numbered days. This is music that explores the richness and depths of life and says “yes,” despite it all, and I love it for that. I think that, if you let it in and give it some space and time in your heart, you’ll love this album too.

https://1x4x9.bandcamp.com/album/behind-the-tree

<3 R.M.