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Assembly of Dust
Recollection
(Hybrid)
First Appeared in The Music Box, March 2007, Volume 14, #3
Written by John Metzger
Lurking beneath the surface of The Honest Hour, there were hints that
Reid Genauer, principal songwriter behind Assembly of Dust, was a devotee of
Jackson Browne, David Crosby, and countless other ’70s-oriented folk-pop
artists. The concert recording was so enveloped in jam band pretension, however,
that its better moments were difficult to discern amidst the sea of meandering
arrangements that the group deployed. In that sense, returning to the studio for
its latest effort Recollection was a wise move, and the result is a
focused endeavor that fulfills the promise that previously was hidden.
For the record, Assembly of Dust still adheres too diligently to the paths
that were paved by its predecessors, but the manner in which it folds the
appropriated constructs together shows that the ensemble is on the verge of
taking its work to a new level. Opening cut Grand Design bears hints of
both the Allman Brothers Band and Steely Dan; Beatle-esque harmonies cling to
Zero to the Skin; and Telling Sue bridges the gap that divides the
Grateful Dead, America, and Pure Prairie League. On 40 Reasons, Assembly
of Dust recycles the classic material on Neil Young’s After the Gold Rush
and Harvest, and on Samuel Aging, Dire Straits and Yes are
intertwined. There’s little doubt that Recollection is dotted with an
overabundance of musical quotes, and while they are well planned, well executed,
and fun to identify, they also seem to be holding Assembly of Dust back from
achieving bigger things.
Still, there’s something about Recollection that is irresistible, and
it all stems from the precision of its production. Working in conjunction with
Josh Pryor, Assembly of Dust found a way of perfectly balancing its penchant for
improvisation with its commercial aspirations. Although the songs are polished
considerably, they aren’t constricted in their ability to breathe, which, in
turn, allows the band’s strengths — its impeccable musicianship and its
indelible melodies — to collide in a thoroughly enjoyable fashion. While
Recollection hardly paints rock ’n‘ roll in a new light, it does contain a
solid batch of songs that not only sets the stage for Assembly of Dust’s future
but also ought to win a larger following for the group. 
Recollection is available from
Amazon.com. To order, Click Here!
For Canadian orders, please
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For UK orders, please
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Ratings
1 Star: Pitiful
2 Stars: Listenable
3 Stars: Respectable
4 Stars: Excellent
5 Stars: Can't Live Without It!!
Copyright © 2007 The Music Box
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