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THE REVIEW
Get yourself into an empty room, a big one.
Position the stereo, and especially the speakers.
Turn off the lights and press play.
You will discover the sound.
Like breathing mountain air for the first time.
Like running your tongue over your teeth after the dentist's cleaning.
Like having always eaten Cornetto Algida and then discovering Castiglione's gelato (only for those from Bologna).
As if the sound had found a medium purer than air to propagate.
The guitars are clear, but clear is an understatement.
The piano is enveloping, but enveloping is an understatement.
The sound has a profound shape, it has body, it is substance and it enters your ears, tickles the most remote corners, amazes; the whole room fills your ears with instruments.
You are listening to this compelling novelty, this revelation that the instruments are presenting to you, and at the same time you know perfectly well that you are listening to Jim O’Rourke, in every explosion, in every tiny intrusion in the background (which does not go unnoticed), you recognize him.
When you hear just the guitar (and I'm not even sure it's ever alone) it seems enough to fill all the space, yet the space fills up even more, it expands, able to contain an infinite series of perfectly distinct sounds, which even manage to clash harmoniously.
Your ears are full, you are in an empty, dark room.
And yet you are seeing the music.
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Summary by Bot
The review describes 'The Visitor' as an extraordinary listening experience where sound transcends ordinary perception. Jim O’Rourke’s intricate guitars and piano create an immersive, expansive soundscape that fills an empty room and captivates the listener. The music is praised for its purity, depth, and the recognizable signature of the artist. It’s highlighted as a revelation and a must-listen in a focused, contemplative setting.Tracklist Videos
Jim O'Rourke
Jim O’Rourke is an American musician, composer and producer from Chicago, long based in Tokyo. Active since the late 1980s, he has been a member of Gastr del Sol and Sonic Youth, and is noted for solo releases spanning experimental electronics to ornate singer-songwriter records. He has worked with artists including Wilco, Stereolab, Faust, Joanna Newsom, Red Krayola, Superchunk and Fennesz, and received a Foundation for Contemporary Arts grant.07 Reviews
