The relationship between Mark Tester and Landon Caldwell has created a fruitful relationship of fantastic recordings, but the latest intracontinental collaboration between the two is an epic novel compared to the risque short stories of (not so) yore. Its flight is supersonic, hitting each destination quickly and not overstaying its welcome. Though the journey feels like a modern interpretation of hoping the Concorde for a blink-your-eyes jaunt from the midwest to the west coast, truth is each experimental blip on the Caldwell/Tester radar has room to stretch and explore the cabin between each hub. But as Two Reels unspools, the jet lag does begin to play further trick with the brain. There’s only so much pressurized air and cocktails to imbibe on the luxurious flight, so it’s best to handle this in doses. But when you slip it on your tongue and let it drip down your throat as the sun sets in the background of the plane’s half-shuttered windows, its dulcinea rhythms will warp and warble like the jet stream that carries you to your final destination.
More about: Landon Caldwell, Mark Tester
