Cameron Knowler is capable of telling a story or paining a picture using his guitar and little else. Often, we think of "cinematic" music as multilayered orchestral movements, rising and falling like swells on the sea. These grandiose pieces are carefully constructed to give the listener all the feels when paired with narrative or visuals. But on Places of Consequence, the solo debut by Knowler on American Dreams Records, the native Southwesterner achieves the same end using a very different approach. Informed by the desert landscapes of his youth (no sea swells in Arizona or Texas), Cameron Knowler crafts minimalist songs, playing with both sound and silence. Kuyina, his third and final single from Places of Consequence, shows this interplay perfectly. This short track is the album's closer, defined by a tender melody tinged with a shade of sadness. But blue feelings aside, this morning, DC is happy to offer a premiere.
Cameron Knowler by Laura Lee Blackburn
Kuyina is an accordion tune which was originally performed by Congolese musician Camille Feruzi. It was later covered by fiddler Jon Bekoff, who passed away shortly after playing the song in his backyard. At the end of Places of Consequence, Knowler shares his own arrangement as a tribute to his late mother. The opening bars are weighed with a palpable grief, but then the pace picks up a bit on the ride out. Again, Knowler can convey so much using only his instrument and inspiration, and on Kuyina, this acoustic guitar gem, he shares both his sadness and joy with us. Have a listen below, check out Places of Consequence on the ADR Bandcamp page, and feel free to revisit DC's review of Cameron Knowler and Eli Winter's Anticipation through this link.
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