Eric Anders & Mark O'Bitz - American Bardo
ERIC ANDERS & MARK O'BITZ RELEASE 'AMERICAN BARDO'
Eric Anders and Mark O’Bitz reside in California. O’Bitz lives in SoCal, while Anders lives in NorCal. Their new album, entitled American Bardo dropped minutes ago, and was recorded, produced, and mixed by Mike Butler in San Diego.
Eric Anders & Mark O'Bitz
The 12-tracks on the album were inspired by George Saunders’ Mann-Booker-Prize-winning novel, Lincoln in the Bardo, a brilliant novel probing Lincoln’s grief after the death of his son. The ‘bardo’ is that place between life and rebirth.
Eric and Mark began collaborating around the turn of the century after they met at one of Mark’s performances. Their sound is described by most as indie-folk/Americana, which really doesn’t do their music justice, but nitpicking simply distracts. Since then, they’ve written a bunch of songs and released three albums: Of All These Things, Ghosts To Ancestors, and now American Bardo. In October 2020, the will release an EP, This Mortal Farce. And on February 26, they will release another album: Stuck Inside: Music in the Time of Coronavirus.
“And One Love” stands out simply because of its sonic potency, discharging bluesy washes of color on SoCal alt-country savors
The album commences with “Matterbloomlight (Revisited),” a wonderfully low-slung misty song full of softly gleaming guitars and haunting, melancholic vocals. Speaking from a purely subjective viewpoint, entry points include “Bury Me,” traveling on a gentle guitar, sad elegant strings, and ethereal vocal textures. I love the luminous resonance of the guitars on the solo section of this track.
“A Home The I Can’t Know” flows on dreamy, gossamer surfaces, exuding the deep despondency of unimaginable grief. And although imbued by woe is unbelievably beautiful. “And One Love” stands out simply because of its sonic potency, discharging bluesy washes of color on SoCal alt-country savors. An oozing organ gives the tune a thick glow.
“Won’t Live It Down” is vaguely reminiscent of Bob Dylan, drifting yet rife with a kind of seeping momentum. A wistful guitar solo infuses the tune with yawning torment, the knife-like inner pain brought on by mourning.
More like a musical prayer of lamentation than anything else, American Bardo is enormously complex, yet superbly and magnificently wrought. Definitely one of the best albums of the year.
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