A couple weeks ago, Vini Reilly released another new Durutti Column studio album (this time back on the Kookydiscs label), his third in just under 16 months. In stark comparison to Idiot Savants —which was a colorful, grandiose sound painting that chose its colors from a variety of pallettes and painted them onto a seemingly huge canvas of presentation— Sunlight is an intimate, isolated album that features mostly just Vini playing his overdubbed guitars instrumentals. There are a few full band songs ("Never Known Version", a new recording of song initially recorded 27 years ago and "So Many Crumbs and Monkeys!" which sounds like it may have come from the sessions from 2006's Keep Breathing) that recall his past few records, but overall, this mostly sounds like an update of Tempus Fugit. The centerpiece of the album features Vini's latest find, Poppy Roberts (who was featured heavily on Idiot Savants), called "Head Glue" and it's the type 7 or 8 minute sparsely gorgeous thing that Vini can seemingly throw out at will. His guitar playing has never been better and his songwriting is not far behind, so even though an album like this is a big turn in the opposite direction when compared to his last few, it still feels like a natural progression and the next obvious step, because, when it comes down to it, nobody sounds like the Durutti Column. Absolutely wonderful music from one of the most dependable names out there.It's shaping up to be an amazing year for new music, my friends.
~Austin
