Valet - Blood Is Clean

Our review
Customer reviews
Press release

4...according to our Mingus on Thu 19 Apr, 2007.

Second new release on Kranky, office favourites at Norman towers, is Valet w/ a long player "Blood is Clean". Cover artwork depicts some cryptic quasi-mystical eye-on-hand/pentangle. We're just debating whether we've heard a bad offering from this mostly drifting ambient-shoe/navel gazing specialist label. Is it the copious amounts of opiated drugs these musicians consume? Or is it just a combination of trad guitar/drums/voice line-ups and electronic/organic synthesis exploring the outer edges soundscaping. Again if you're into your drifting mogadon affected blissouts then this'll do it for ya. The inclusion of what sounds like hand drums and female vocal incantations bring a folkloric dynamic to this largely floating affair. Fans of Kranky youknowwhatimean!

*Blood is Clean is the debut release by Honey Owens under the name Valet.
*Honey Owens has been an important figure in the Portland experimental
music scene for more than 10 years, collaborating with an array of both
obscure and well-known music projects including: World, Nudge, Dark Yoga
and Jackie-O Motherfucker.
*The songs were formed out of a natural and spontaneous process as separate
recordings over a 5 month period from January to May of 2006. They were
recorded by and large in single, live takes with minor additional tracking
added here and there. The results are at once spare and expansive; exploratory,
yet deceptively simple.
*We will just say that these are some of the most inspiring alien-psychedelic-
blues-jams from the outer edge of the galaxy that we have heard in ages. And
check out the absolutely fried guitar work on the title cut.
*Tracklisting: 01. April 6 02. Blood is Clean 03. Burmajuana 04. Tame All
the Lions 05. Mystic Flood 06. My Volcano 07. Sade 4 Bri 08. North

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