Search - Jim O'Rourke :: The Visitor

Gorgeous

Nate | Los Angeles | 09/20/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I first discovered Jim O'Rourke's "Insignificance" in 2002 and was immediately taken by its lovely melodies, infectious lyrics, and detailed arrangements. I've been waiting for a proper follow-up for the last seven years and had nearly given up until yesterday, when I found out about "The Visitor." When I learned that the album was one 38-minute instrumental track, I prepared myself for disappointment - how could it possibly equal "Insignificance" or "Eureka" without his stinging vocals?



Well, it's a completely different album, but equally brilliant. No one will mistake this for anything other than a Jim O'Rourke album, as it plays much like the instrumental "Bad Timing" mixed with the gentleness of "Eureka." The liner notes implore the listener to "please listen on speakers, loud," and so that's what I did. I'm on my third listen now and I know "The Visitor" will keep calling me back for months and years to come. Stunning production and jazz-infused melodies accent what is essentially a classical arrangement constructed of rock music parts. It spits in the face of the MP3-era ADD approach to music and forces you to sit, relax, and enjoy as it sprawls out before you. Wonderful."

O'Rourke invents the Folk Symphony

Piers Moktan | Khorsor Elephant Stable, Nepal | 09/20/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"One week on, and I'm still digesting this 38 minute piece. It's a remarkable one-man achievement, apparently comprising 200 audio tracks lovingly edited together and featuring O'Rourke on all instrumental duties. It comes with the exhortation to play loud, making me glad I purchased a CD for my Hi-Fi rather than a download for my computer. This music demands your attention, and it's worth it. No mere background 'soundtrack to your life' nonsense, this is music to be listened to. If only I could experience it live in the Albert Hall! Its frequently warm and engaging character has the same kind of effect on me as Peter Broderick's 21st century laptop folk-rock on Home. If you can imagine the unlikely fusion of Messiaen's compositional talents with James Blackshaw's guitar skills then you might have some idea of what Jim O'Rourke has achieved with The Visitor. It's kind of different, and it's wonderful. This music enables you to plunge into a bath of bliss and curiosity."

Hypnotic

N. Hartman | 11/30/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I have been a fan of Jim O'Rourke for nearly a decade, and I was very impressed by this album. The arrangements are never too dense or muddled. There is beautiful space in the composition, yet it is never sparse. There times when the album seems to reach a climax, but Mr. O'Rourke quickly reigns in the piece. This is a thing of beauty, subtlety, and patience. All the arrangements and melodies are simple but not boring. Mr. O'Rourke took familiar phrasing and the sound of instrumental 70s folk rock and breathed new life into the genre on the Visitor."