Nathan Bowles Trio - Are Possible

Drag City - DC881LP

The Nathan Bowles Trio's Are Possible is a spark-throwing, undulating fusion of styles played (mainly) on banjo, upright bass and drums. The indi- vidual perspectives of Nathan, double-bassist Casey Toll (Jake Xerxes Fussell, Mt. Moriah) and drummer Rex McMurry (CAVE) work together in an easy-rolling manner, but one that contains an expansive, ass-shaking confabulation of ideas. Music's been dubbed "time remembered"-YES, but it's also vital to recognize that this world of music, arts and the literal social politic existing beyond (or below, or wherever you find it) is in never-ending flux. Spiraling through encounters with the past is a means of bringing the old collectives into our future present, for the necessity of creating something new. Nathan's solo music-making explorations with the banjo are evidence of the range of possible places to go in the world while still in contact with one's roots: clawhammer boogie, strummed, bowed and percussive techniques, original compositions and traditional tunes, all cutting a path between old-time Appa- lachian music and its long-lost cousin, ecstatic minimal drone. In conversation with Rex and Casey's own conceptions, with guitar, bass, mellowtone, keyboards, drums and percussion aboard, he continues to ride toward new vistas. It's been a long six years since these three players first appeared on Nathan's 2018 album, Plainly Mistaken, a stretch made weird by the period of time in which social music couldn't be played socially. But again, nothing ever really dies: the time since, experienced as individuals and as a band, informs everything about Are Pos- sible's multitudinous group sound. The details along the road that the band traveled to get here, where where one riff blossomed into ten, then melted back down, and parts were added and subtracted and became each other in moments of new collective understanding, lent a unique prog-nosticafication to the possibilities of Are Possible before they'd even recorded a note. Music is time in redux: Are Possible's many moments in time carry details from all over the place. Rex brought a rhythm to the table after drumming on buckets at work, Casey provided a bassline that redirected a previous jam, Nathan brought in a song he'd been fucking with forever and they figured it out together. Their diversity of sources moves easily within the arrangements, rendering a far-ranging set of feels, from transcendental to new country funk to good ol' jazz and the folk-rock, even-all of it drawn out exquisitely when they mixed at Electrical Audio in Chicago with the delicate hands of Cooper Crain upon the faders. The Nathan Bowles Trio have done their due diligence, passing their music through time and space on their way to now; now, the real trip begins, as Are Possible travels on, through you.

Side A:
Dappled
The Ternions
Our Air

Side B:
Top Button
Gimme My Shit
Aims

• We are a small independent record store that's been selling new vinyl records in Melbourne, Australia since 2011
• All delivery orders are shipped for $8.95 with Australia Post and include tracking
• Pickup is availble from 461 High St Northcote. This is a free option during checkout
• We go to extreme lengths to make sure our customers are happy
• We use the best mailers available with lots of space for corner protection, and we make sure orders are packed tightly to avoid seam splits
• We ship almost all orders within 1 business day (excluding special or preorder products)
• If there are any issue with an order due to damage, delivery issues or faulty discs we cover all costs associated with replacing and/or returning items
• We're happy to give free expert advice about turntables and hi-fi including setup and playing issues
• If you want to get in touch, email info@thornburyrecords.com. If you would like to talk to us on the phone, send an email requesting a call back