Wednesday 6 May 2009

SOMBRE TRUST (Peter Scion 1999-2000)



PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED

When I searched through my closet, I found a box full of tapes with hours and hours of unreleased material. Among those tapes I found an entire unreleased album that I had more or less forgotten about. Truth is, it was just a pile of songs that I recorded some time in-between "Through My Ghost" and "Sister Songs". Chronologically, it makes perfect sense. My lyrics changed to the observer's, and I moved further away from the blatantly folk inspired.

A few of these songs were used as contributions to 'various artists' compilations, but the versions included herein are all different in one way or another. "Cynthia", for example, does not feature Carita Forslunds flute and voice, just me. A couple of tracks are in earlier and, as far as I go, better mixes. I wonder why I chose inferior versions? All songs have their proper place in this setting however, and most of the songs are previously unreleased in any form.

Despite a few crunchier tracks, this is a emotionally calmer album than what you might have come to expect from me. Perhaps so because I switched focus from the inside to the outside? In any case, I'm rather pleased with many of these songs, and they have moments I can listen to with satisfaction. Usually, I tend to hear the flaws rather than the advantages, but in the case of "Sombre Trust", I actually concentrate on the good things. For instance, the guitar solo in "She Must Be Very Lonely" which I remember growing in the soil of Roger McGuinn's solo in "She Don't Care About Time". But of course, McGuinn's solo is a bit more sophisticated than mine!

Speaking of solos, I must have been under some SRC and "Black Sheep" influence while recording "Paperbird"...

Another track I am especially pleased to see released is the reworking of "The Dole of the King's Daughter". That song had been with me since the days of the Continental Soul Searchers; Modryn used to do it and we even rehearsed with Pangolin although we soon dropped it. This reflects my unability to find the right approach to it. I think I found it here!

As with "Through My Ghost", this is a solo effort without any contributions from others. It seems natural since the songs were recorded over a longer period of time than I usually spent on making a record.

As you can tell, I have many a soft spot for the songs that make up "Sombre Trust". It's a pity I never got around to actually structure them as an album way back when. But as they say, better late than never!

MP3: DOWNLOAD
WAV: DOWNLOAD Pt 1 / DOWNLOAD Pt 2 (Both parts needed!)
Artwork here (let me know if it doesn't work).

5 comments:

  1. Thank you for making such wonderful music and thank you again for making it available to everyone.

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  2. You're much welcome, and thanks for returning, Max!

    ReplyDelete