Search - Loren Mazzacane Connors :: 9th Avenue

Dark and intense-- one of Loren's better albums

Nobody important | 06/20/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"For those not familiar with Loren's work, his compositions are generally slow, drawn-out guitar solos. Unlike much of Loren's pre 1990's works, this album reflects his increasing reliance on electric guitars and distortion effects (his old works were mostly acoustic) to convey an angrier and more foreboding atmosphere (his pieces are all about atmosphere anyway), a trend coinciding, not surprisingly, with him being diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. There isn't really anybody who sounds quite like Connors, although his imitators include people like Thurston Moore of Sonic Youth, and you can hear why on this album. To get a sense of what this album sounds like, imagine Jeff Beck playing distorted, slow blues without a backing band. That doesn't quite do justice to Connors' unique sound, but it's about as close as words can come. As a warning, don't listen to this album if you are depressed. If you are interested in something a bit less dark, go for Airs."

Music for a bender in Hell's Kitchen

Daniel J. Fortune | New York, NY | 05/08/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Connors guitar work perfectly captures the despair that can be found in the eyes of many of the drunks you might run into in Hell's Kitchen (or anywhere else for that matter). Listen to this, then go to Rudy's Bar on 9th and 44th and drown your depression in bourbon with the other lushes."