Michael Ruth aka Rich Ruth has been at the hub of Nashville’s more experimental fringe for a while now. You may have caught him live as part of Spencer Cullum’s Coin Collective on their many treks or picked up on the rated Shrunken Elvis debut record earlier this year (the ambient country trio of Ruth, Cullum and guitarist Zac Thomson). Then there’s the stunning psych prog expansions of his three solo albums. Yes Rich Ruth needs knowing.

Now his latest collaboration with go-to Canadian banjoist Allison de Groot reinforces that claim. Released on the ever-giving Western Vinyl Records their self-titled album grew from an initial plan for Ruth to produce a de Groot’s solo outing but once working in the studio things shifted. Their very different sound worlds, Ruth all country, alt rock and electronic, de Groot rootsy, old time and bluegrass, made a magical connection. ‘Allison de Groot & Rich Ruth’ invites you into their journey to sonic destinations that may have been unintended but which pulsates with the thrill of discovery.

Opener Nervion leaves no doubt that this partnership brings something singular to the ambient country soundscape. There’s retro moog cosmology, pattering banjo riffing, twinkling vibes and a tune which gathers up sound layers as it rolls forwards. The musical patterns are mesmeric, woven with Reich-like precision but still fluid and colourful. Bathed in soft strings and sighing pedal steel with Ruth’s Fripp-toned guitar soaring, the record’s ambitious trajectory is set.

Talking about the album, de Groot and Ruth both admit the songs forged their own direction as they came together. New Intervention’s spacey gamelan may build on proggy synth shapes mingling with rippling banjo but the layers also peel back to reveal a melancholic melody and folksy hand percussion. Similar Fourth Worldly electro-acoustic combinations simmer through the whole collection, almost Eno-esque in their subtlety. Sorgin echoes with eastern and new age influences, while guesting fiddler Patrick M’Gonigle brings thoughtful, swaying phrases to balance with the tune’s head-spinning complexity. Alternatively the dreamy Bass Crust emerges as more of a slow sweep across a vast landscape, with Spencer Cullum’s pedal steel gliding majestically. Add in the trance-like Kosmische of 10-14, where Ruth’s growling bass riff fires up M’Gonigle’s waltzing fiddle and you’ll sense the gentle daring that underpins the album.

Despite all this expansiveness, it’s impressive how the de Groot/ Ruth partnership keep the clawhammer banjoing central to the mood and integrity of each piece. On the episodic Distance From Then, de Groot’s spidery patterns blend with the fiddle’s whisper to set up a weightless intro before scurrying to the song’s counterpoint alongside busy synths and vibes. There’s clearly more than syncopation to de Groot’s role in shaping the music here. Her banjo frequently generates the weave which other moments can thread through, as on the rising trajectory of Rocks From The Moon which builds to a powerful proto-symphonic peak.

Through the album Ruth, de Groot and writing partner Patrick M’Gonigle’s focus never meanders and there is a completeness to each of the tracks on the album. Even the atmospheric closing cut, A Wizard and a Stork, unravels as a story rather than drifting moodily. From sombre drone to sprightly Gaelic overtones, psychedelic distortion to warning voices, it’s a soundtrack in a single song which echoes the widescreen vision of William Tyler’s music.

‘Allison de Groot & Rich Ruth‘ may have been a leap of faith for both artists, trusting their collaboration to find its own sound, but on the evidence here, this is a musical partnership which has plenty more places to discover.

Get your copy of ‘Allison de Groot & Rich Ruth‘ from your local record store or direct from Western Vinyl HERE

Related