Wayne B: Night of the Hunter
Quatermass

Judging by Night of the Hunter's bottom-heavy sound, it hardly surprises that Wayne B (Wayne B. Magruder, past member of Bowery Electric and Windsor for the Derby) currently holds the drum chair in Calla. The 42-minute collection, his first solo project under his own name, merges urban beats with laid-back folk-country elements on ten songs, though three are little more than two minute interludes. “Lures & Snares,” for example, is ponderous instrumental drift of piano and field elements that doesn't amount to a whole lot while “Ten to One” similarly presents a nice gritty groove but not much more. Frankly, instrumentals like “Back Porch Apology,” over 8 minutes of acoustic picking against a backdrop of environmental noises, generally underwhelm, although the sudden addition of punchy beats halfway through “Dogville” boosts its impact considerably and the atmospheric electronic folk setting “Langor Train” successfully conjures a Set Fire To Flames ambiance.

The material becomes considerably more interesting when Magruder adds the delicious vocals of Jana Plewa and Daphne Gannon to the mix. Driven by tight downtempo beats and a soft, dubby bass line, the triphopper “Souvenir” is rendered even sweeter by the inclusion of a soulful vocal; there's even a faint melodic trace of Björk in the rather off-key vocal refrain in “Garden of the Weaver.” Without a doubt, the album's strongest moments surface in “Articles of Faith” when whispered verses and a lush chorus hook alternate over slow-motion, minimal funk rhythms. A tip to Mr. Magruder: exploit the talents of Ms. Plewa and Ms. Gannon even more next time ‘round.

October 2005