All Masks

Deep into All Masks the faint hum of cicadas and guitar picking accompany a voice inquiring, If songs are a world / if you think they resonate indefinitely / if you think they echo past the end of me / then why are you so scared? These questions are answered with images of ghost trains moving through the Mojave - endless tracks rolling past the mind's comprehension. All Masks challenges the listener to take part in these stories, whether torrent or calm. The strings have a sad-peacefulness joined by soaring oboe-work. Tim Wright (Wilderness, Ted Leo) played Tom Waits-inspired percussion when he wasn't pressing record, and Jake Mann contributed both bass and drums throughout the album. Despite all of the textures and layers throughout the record, the root of Garrett's songs remains his voice. Pages of lyrics are anchored in Garrett's sweeping vocal range - some moments evoking darkness - in others, a Motown-like playfulness. But more than anything does the collective energy of Garrett and his musical guests drive the album's compositions.