'Evangeline' is the sixth album by the duo of Jon Attwood (Yellow6) and Ray Robinson (Wodwo) collectively known as JARR (for obvious reasons), consisting of ten compositions in 49 minutes. The album is comprised of slow and contemplative reverbed guitar loops, walls of ambient textures, delayed guitar melodies, minimal post-rock ambience, and washes of shoegazing drones. For me, JARR albums are a pleasure and something to look forward to, and although they are in a similar musical vein, there is always some difference, something that makes each unique. The concept of the album is based on Longfellow's poem by the same title, a story of love and exile, movement and stillness, and you may get those feelings when listening to it. You don't have to read the poem to appreciate the album, but it won't hurt.

Quoting directly from JARR: “Collaboration is a strange, fragile thing. Two minds pushing and pulling, sometimes in step, sometimes not. One of us leans into structure, into the certainty of BPM, the steady grid that locks everything into place. The other prefers the slipstream, the moments between the beats, where things breathe, stretch, threaten to come undone. Over time, this push-pull has become its own rhythm, a quiet tension humming beneath every track we make. Not a battle, not quite. More like a dance, where the steps aren’t always agreed upon but somehow still work." And it works great on 'Evangeline,' whatever their creative process. This is an album that you can enjoy in its entirety, or pick and choose a favorite track. For me, each piece seemed a bit more abstract than some of JARR's other works, but that's a positive, not a negative. When you can evoke a certain feeling, be it longing, thoughtful contemplation, sadness, hopefulness, or peacefulness with your music, you really have something special. Lord knows we need music like this in these troubled times, something to counteract the apprehension, anxiety and angst of these troubled times. 'Evangeline' will soothe your soul and bring you calm. Surely that is worth a whole lot. The physical release is limited to 200 CD-r copies in the usual SIS handmade packaging. Highly recommended.