This is one of those splits you didn’t know you needed in your life. Never would have paired Sun Araw and Ralph White outside of live shows with one another, but it makes sort of mangled sense once White starts in with the African percussion and what-not on his side of Lord Franklin, A Child Ballad / Thrasher. It’s mostly acoustic guitar, laced with old-timey fiddle, percussion, and other embellishments I can’t quite identify, and it’s all breathtaking in a way previous White recordings haven’t been for me. Impressive; daunting, even. More interlocking, coruscating parts than are traditionally associated with this brand of Americana, and much appreciated they are. Sun Araw, as you’d expect, is in a much spacier place than White, filtering a succession of muffled guitar noodling through silk curtains of synths. Closer to Boredoms in spirit and, once the vocals kick in, Amen Dunes than anything else I can think of at this hour, you’ve got to respect what Cameron Stallones does with “Thrasher.” He’s a pretty whacked guy, and I must admit I hadn’t realized how far he was pushin’ his aural exploits. Good to know.
More about: Ralph White / Sun Araw
