The River Made No Sound

It's clear that Mark Nelson's collaboration with Stars of the Lid's Adam Wiltzie on the Aix Em Klemm cd has been influential. Moodier than the debut or "360 Bypass," "River" has a much more ambient feel to it. That's not to say it isn't full of those wonderful Nelson electronic burps and chirps, but the guitar is more subdued and the jazz influence is less prominent. If you're already a Pan American fan, you will buy this anyway; if you're a Labradford fan testing the waters, start with the other two discs, as this is more challenging. If you like SOL, this will be right up your alley. Repeated listenings will reveal it to be as lush and satisfying as his other works, however, and in my opinion, Nelson is the absolute master of whatever you want to call this kind of music.