Judging by his albums so far, you can call Canadian composer/musician/singer Ian William Craig’ music anything but a run of the mill ambient/neo-classical stuff. But instead of just making attempts to sound different, Craig has been able to continuously produce music of substance. His new album, “Centres”, just proves the point.
Utilising decaying tape techniques as skilfully as William Basinski does, and employing them to multilayered, practically choral vocals (like the ones Peter Broderick so skilfully utilised on some of the tracks on his “Home” album), as well as other instrumentation, Craig has been able to come up with something that is like a perfect cross between Brian Eno and Mogwai in tranquil moments (for Mogwai that is, Eno is always tranquil).
From the opening version of Contain (the album ends with a completely different version), Craig sets the tone, processed vocals and electronics interchange places with pipe organs and clear choral singing. Each new piece adds a set of other, ever changing elements, giving them an unexpected change of mood and atmosphere. Third piece into the album with the aptly titled “Drifting to Void On All Sides”, everything fits into place, literally drifting voices and obliterated guitars take you anywhere. Craig might have called it void, but it sounds anything but empty. You want it straightforward? Fine. “The Nearness” starts just with Craig’s natural voice and accordion and it fits perfectly within those decaying tapes which suddenly appear and change everything somewhere mid-tune. And it all fits.
At the time Craig came up with his 2014 album “A Turn of Breath” many reviewers were not expecting him to top the achievements of that work. With “Centres”, I have the impression he did. so do many other reviewers, giving the album 4,5 stars and high 8’s all around. In essence, with “Centres” Craig has hit the centre.
