Guitarmy of One
Wave Files
(Independent)
The second offering by Guitarmy of One conjures a bouillabaisse of sound, by turns kitschy, exotic, and clandestine. The all-instrumental project is the nom de rock of Scott Helland, whose career stretches back to the early 1980s as a founding member of Deep Wound, the hardcore band that also launched the careers of Dinosaur Jr.’s J Mascis and Lou Barlow. Helland’s journey has included numerous solo and collaborative projects, notably the New Paltz-based cabaret/postpunk duo Frenchy and the Punk. This set is built on a watery foundation of reverb-soaked surf music, incorporating the droning sounds of Krautrock, Eastern modal music, and the sinister sound of film noir jazz. Particular inspiration is drawn from the dystopian, supernatural, and espionage-tinged side of early ’70s film and television, as evidenced by titles such as “Jack Lord of the Sea,” “Soylent Seafoam,” and “Seance for the Saint.”
This article appears in April 2024.
