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Subtle beauty comes in so many forms, and it’s
the fine details that reflect the fragile essence
of a sound, a string, or the lightness of being
within a song. As if to hear the silence of the
leaf falling in slow motion from a tree, solo artist
and micronic music man Jimmy LaValle
spotlights every note from the cello, every sob
from the saw, and the chime of a bell to illustrate
the makings of his latest LP, In A Safe
Place.
Surrounding himself with people that serve both
as friends and musicians (including members of
Sigor Ros), LaValle had a wealth
of talent as his fingertips in addition to his
own; painting an aural picture that is as layered
and cool blue as the painted artwork of the album's
cover. Having removed himself from the sunny shores
of his hometown in San Diego to travel to Reykjavik,
Iceland, recording and arranging in this foreign
land may have brought about a new level of serenity.
The motions are serene and aquatic, with flowing
violins, guitars and piano that glide like a stingray
over an electronic undercurrent of crunching,
bubbling affects.
It's easy to see that LaValle's goal to someday
score movie soundtracks is a viable and achievable
one. His talent lies in the composition of both
expansive soundscapes and solitary, delicate trickles
of music, from a wide shot of the ocean's waters
all the way down to a drop of dew dripping from
a leaf after a summer's sunrise. Simply put, In
A Safe Place is both a beautiful and exquisite.
www.subpop.com
Kim Owens, July 2, 2004
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