The recording moniker of the Nashville resident and multi-instrumentalist Michael Ruth, as Rich Ruth he flirts with post-rock, synth gestures, no lack of spacey ambience and even spiritual jazz. His most dense and cleansing record yet, the seven songs here bridge the gap between exploratory and soothing, where the diverse list of collaborators don't disappoint.
The meditative setting of “Action At A Distance” gets the listen off to a mesmerizing start that almost seems like it would be something playing at your therapist's office in the waiting room, where cosmic synth and elegant strings draw us in.
“Crying In The Trees” follows with a bare quality that builds into thick textures of buzzing, nearly stoner rock moments, while “God Won't Speak” simmers with a dreamy ambience that's intimate in a sort New Age way that employs soft brass in all the right places.
“No Muscle, No Memory” occupies the middle spot, and it's got some psychedelia weaved in between the harmonic guitar playing and flowing sax, but it's the chilling delivery of “Aspiring ToThe Sky” that will make anyone a fan thanks to the light versus dark dynamics, acrobatic drumming and furious swells of brass.
The final two tracks are the shortest, but no less impactful. “Blue Shell” drones with animated keys and soundbites that emit cinematic ideas, and “Somewhere In Time” exits with space jazz tendencies that float with care and adventurousness.
Ruth is well versed in loops and colorful song craft that's capable of being therapeutic, just as it can be intense with a distinct heaviness. If you only pick up one record on theThird Man label this year, this would be a wise choice, cause Ruth's abstract vision is unpredictable, iconoclastic and extraordinary.