SUSS: SUSS (Shimmy-Disc/digital outlets)

The adjective “atmospheric” is perhaps too liberally applied these days, but it is certainly the appropriate word for the sound of this New York three-piece of Jonathan Gregg (pedal steel, dobro), Bob Holmes (mandolin, guitars, harmonica, violin, keyboards) and Pat Irwin (guitars, harmonium, keyboards, melodica, loops).

Describing themselves as “ambient country”, these players take their time on these 21 spacious instrumentals with titles like Gallup NM, Flagstaff AZ, Needles CA, Heat Haze, North Wind and Winter Was Hard, the latter title perhaps reflecting on the loss of founder member Gary Leib who died in 2021.

Their albums and EPs have regularly appeared on those lists of Great Albums We Missed, and this one – released in December last year – would be added, especially by those who can hear its atmospheric soundscapes as a midpoint between thoughtful Ry Cooder, Daniel Lanois, Twin Peaks' moody soundtrack and Brian Eno instrumentals.

The chiming guitars bring to mind Eno's Apollo album but with more of Cooder and Lanois' country flavours.

Atmospheric for sure, but also evoking the wide spaces of that huge open territory between America's East and West coasts where the road goes on forever under a vast sky.

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You can hear and buy this album at bandcamp here