By Deuce

The name of the group you need to know is Driftwood Pines. The release? That would be Crimson, the Extended Player that touched down on the first of the month.

The man of the hour, the day, or any moment in which you choose to throw these recordings on? None other than IJ Smith. Although Smith pairs with Tony Daquipa (who mans the drums and percussion on this outing) for each of these four tunes, there are few things he isn’t capable of producing with an assortment of electric, lead, rhythm, and supporting guitars—when he’s not got a banjo or harmonica in his hands.

Seriously. Smith’s guitar playing is so good there’s no need for vocals on any of these tunes, which is likely why there aren’t any. All the melodies, the evocative sentiments, the chromatic outbursts, and nocturnally spinning, dizzying emotions are done with Smith’s array of these stringed instruments. And, it’s a good idea to include an electric bass in the mix, which Smith handles with equal deftness, particularly on the grand finale, “Truckstop Milkyway”, in which it’s so prominent it’s obese and leads the lead, if you know what we mean.

“Milkyway” is an exceptional record, but none more so than when the tune shifts key and sprouts into a rainbow of colors and sounds, lighting up the galaxy with Smith’s electric guitar (which functions as the lead on most of these numbers). Typically it’s coupled with a rhythm guitar, which is usually a lap steel, though Smith isn’t above getting down with a mandolin, as well.

With the rhythm as the foundation, the electric guitars splay, stealing snatches and chunks of melody to sumptuous delight particularly well on numbers like “3 On the Tree”, which kicks off the collection in the right direction. Some would call this honky-tonk. This reviewer terms it a leisurely, aural stroll in the summer afternoon, or early spring evening. The pace is not too fast, not too slow (you’ve got Daquipa to thank for that), and just right for ambulating, motoring, or even passing time through the evening sky on a plane or some other type of craft.

The world, and those in the know, is just waiting for Driftwood Pines to drop some more of these heady, potent creations.