From Aural Innovations #37 (Sep 2007)
As Nonloc, Bright’s Mark Dwinell crafts a beautiful solo album of cyclical pieces that whirl continuously, around and around in the listener’s mind. Playing acoustic, tenor, electric and bass guitars; acoustic and electric pianos, accordion, mandolin, banjo, cello, harmonica and alto sax, he builds each piece on a series of loops or sequences, played live without the use of delay or tapes, that wind and twist around each other like spirals of sound. Some of the pieces are complex, with numerous layers of instruments; others are more simple and sparse. Through them, sonic textures evolve and dissipate, while Dwinell half sings, half speaks poetic musings. While there are occasional digressions into a more rock or jazz oriented territory, for the most part there is a gentle, folksy feel to the album. Yet it’s not traditional in any way. Imagine if Can had been a folk group instead of a rock group, or if Terry Riley had been a guitarist, and you may start to get a sense of what Nonloc is all about. It’s another intriguing release from the folks at Strange Attractors.
For more info, visit: http://www.nonloc.com/
and http://www.strange-attractors.com
Reviewed by Jeff Fitzgerald