Richard Buckner

Richard Buckner

For his first album of new material in four years, once-again Austinite Richard Buckner decided to experiment. His last release, The Hill, was a successful musical adaptation of Edgar Lee Master's Spoon River Anthology. On Impasse, the celebrated singer-songwriter recorded everything at his home in Edmonton, Alberta, composing and playing virtually every note. The result is an interesting new direction for a musician once considered an alt.country stalwart. By constructing basic acoustic rhythm tracks and overlaying them with keyboards and interesting bits of percussion, he constructs one different amalgam after another. To some, Buckner's voice is an acquired taste. He doesn't sing as much as moan, and deciphering his knotted lyrics can be a chore. What listeners are left with, then, is mood, one that shifts shape, texture, and emotion from moment to moment. Some songs, like the instrumental title track, are broken fragments, but then there are majestic moments like the baritone-guitar-driven "Stumble Down" and the gleeful stomp "Born Into Giving It Up." Like Buckner's past work, Impasse is a challenge that reveals itself only after much careful listening; he's got his own meter and way with melody. Once you catch his drift, however, discovering music that's irresistible comes next.