Jason Corder's project Offthesky is a name not difficult to stumble upon, with a discography dawned in 2002 and releases on a myriad of imprints. Given prior knowledge of this, and Corder's background-- tinkering with pianos and recording approaches at an early age-- his experience and tact is undeniable. Avid listeners conscious of Offthesky's progression may even be floored by his latest output. The Beautiful Nowhere stands as a welcome yet exceptional chapter in his body of work.
The digital pulses and clicks of 2010's Hiding Nature have evanesced and are restored by an organic prowess. Corder's ten compositions are primarily based on a foundation of guitar arpeggios, looped, layered and adorned with finespun electronics and strings among others. Higher and higher, these pieces rarely, if not, never happen upon a summit-- this is where the infallible album title gives way to its ethos. The Beautiful Nowhere finds comfort in wandering; these 44 minutes exhibit seclusion to its luring capabilities.
Corder nods to late '80s and '90s alternative rock in the titles "Daydream Tarnation" and "The Lonesome Crowded Nest," the former orchestrated sinisterly with a brooding strum, eidolic whispers and chasmal thuds. The latter eases out of the tempo once set, and nestles into contemplative plucks, sprawling bows, and sunken hums. A correlation of these elements is created and colored by their empty, reverberant surroundings. Opener "Surface of Your Sin" and "Waiting To Fade" resemble a call-and-response dynamic between the instrument and its own echo.
The Beautiful Nowhere is fastened to Corder's stay in a cabin near Carter Lake in Colorado, where the opportunities to employ acoustic instruments were manifold. The air of each arrangement is isolated, as is the album from Offthesky's preceding work. This embrace of desolation unearths contemplative, extrinsic music far removed from the circle of artists that he's often accredited to.
[Offthesky Website]
[Buy The Beautiful Nowhere from Hibernate Records]
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