The first question that comes up to mind listening to the first collaboration between (David) Allred and (Peter) Broderick, “Find The Ways” is - what is actually experimental music. Usually, as far as it concerns rock or other forms of modern music, people think of something with complex changes (i.e., what for some reason got the name “progressive”) or improvisational, taken over for free jazz. But even in those terms, “complex changes” don’t necessarily have to be connected, sound wise, to the stereotypical views. If you want truly complex musical twists and turns, take on something like Captain Beefheart’s “Trout Mask Replica”. Now that you can call progressive!
Now back to our “heroes”. Although everybody who follows today’s musical trends has at least heard of Peter Broderick, David Allred is probably an unknown quantity even to quite a number of reviewers. Broderick is already known as a man who tries to vary, not only his soul but a musical direction in general, so it seems as no surprise that in his search for something else, he has met a kindred should in Allred.
So what do we get here, and how experimental this music actually is? For starters, one thing to say for sure, you get a very minimalistic sound - two voices, a violin or two, upright bass. That is it. Looking at the photos taken for this album, you get that late Nineteenth-century photograph reincarnation, something akin to those taken in the Appalachia, something that can be felt from the vocals and instrumentation. But, both Allred and Broderick are classically trained musicians and you get that in the music. In essence, you get something you can call classical Appalachia, the sound of the violin(s) at some points sounds like John Cale (without a viola though) up on the hill trying to keep pace with two singers on the other.
And frankly, it is slow, minimal, no sudden breaks, but it is also achingly beautiful with the two vocals dominating and showing what true experimental music can sound like. And it doesn’t stop there. With vocals to the fore, Allred and Broderick also paid attention to the lyrics:
“There are places to go and things you should know
About the world in which we live, about the world in which we live
It’s a curious, mysterious place full of secrets
And people who live in misery overseen
If we’re all the same, then how can this be
How can this be ” – The Ways
In essence, you want to know what truly experimental music sounds like, try this one then.
