Album Review: Steve Gunn, Daylight Daylight

Steve Gunn has a history of collaboration, having released a plethora of instrumental, ambient and folky records with artists like Kurt Vile, Ryley Walker and drummer John Truscinski, since his 2007 solo debut.

This time around, he’s joined by old friend James Elkington (Jeff Tweedy, Joan Shelley), who produced, played on and co-wrote most of the songs, as well as organising the likes of Macie Stewart (violin and viola); Ben Whiteley (cello); Nick Macri (upright bass); and Hunter Diamond (woodwinds).

With seven tracks lasting 40 minutes, these songs are anything but immediate, taking their own sweet time to work their subtle charms. Indeed, if you approach them too directly, it feels like they’ll slip out of your grip. Instead, let the slow and sensual ‘Another Fade’, the dreamily cinematic ‘Hadrian’s Wall’, the quietly arresting ‘Loon’ and the fingerpicked fugue of ‘The Walk’ work their gentle magic on you.

The undoubted highlight is the beautiful melancholia of ‘Morning On K Road’, written about a chance encounter in Auckland with Hamish Kilgour from Kiwi indie rockers The Clean, the last time the duo spoke before Kilgour’s death. It’s a masterpiece of tender fingerpicking, beautifully intricate orchestration and exquisite songwriting.

This is a disarmingly lovely record that sneaks up on you, like a wiser Nick Drake jamming with a stoned and slowed-down War On Drugs, alongside the most sympathetic orchestra ever encountered. Beautiful.

8/10