EASE DOWN THE ROAD

3 Stars 

As they separately prepared for proper new full-length albums to be released later in 2006, Tortoise and Will Oldham decided to combine for a session that would eventually swell into what has now become a most unlikely collaborative work with their The Brave and the Bold release. By utilizing the work of their predecessors, Tortoise and Will are able to focus on the opaque experimental landscapes that accompany these 10 carefully chosen, highly poignant cover tracks.

For a guy with song titles like “Death to Everyone” and “Grand Dark Feeling of Emptiness,” to his name, it’s surprising to hear Oldham sound somewhat jovial through Brave’s recordings. In fact this is likely the only Oldham-related release that offers such results since his last covers-only album, More Revery. Always fond of the Chicago music scene and its players, Oldham’s pairing with experimental jazz outfit Tortoise, makes for an exciting, often brilliant pairing of styles.

Brave’s default single, “Thunder Road” is nearly unrecognizable as Tortoise turn Bruce Springsteen’s classic rock composition into a busy piece that melds jazz with art rock. Elton John’s “Daniel” sees both Tortoise and Oldham leaving their comfort zones for a creepy brand of soft rock again nowhere near reminiscent of the original composition. By far the best choice of source material on Brave is the cover of Richard and Linda Thompson’s sweeping “Calvary Cross,” from their landmark album, I Want to See Bright Lights Tonight. Luckily, the guys stay loyal to the Thompson’s original work, which to this day stands as one of British Folk’s all-time masterworks.

Be it the punk rock of the Minutemen’s “It’s Expected I’m Gone,” the electro-pop of Devo’s “That’s Pep!” or the alt rock of Lungfish’s “Love is Love,” Tortoise and Oldham take every chance they get to show off their musical chops. Though it’s far from the best work either outfit have released; The Brave and the Bold is a successful collection of experimental covers that will most certainly influence future work from both parties. Not a serious release from either artist, file Brave under “bonus.”