365 Days, 365 Files: Bill Frisell – The End of the World

Bill Frisell’s music can be introspective, sparse and unsettling. He titled one of his albums, Ghost Town, and the environment he evoked on that album was certainly appropriate.

But with Nashville, Frisell brought in musicians not necessarily schooled in the high-minded aesthetic of his downtown New York regulars. As a result, the album turned out to be one of his most accessible.

It was also one of his most energetic works.

Robin Holcomb shows up on two tracks. Holcomb herself is an acquired taste — her nasal quiver doesn’t inhabit the same timbre as Hem’s Sally Ellyson or Cowboy Junkies’ Margo Timmins.

Frisell, however, is a forceful — but not overpowering presence — on Holcomb’s self-titled debut album for Nonesuch, and the pair make a good combination. Holcomb’s earthy voice suits Frisell’s speech-like playing.

Holcomb contributes vocals for a cover of Skeeter Davis’ "The End of the World".

[File expired.]