Every few years for more than 20 years now,
Howe Gelb and company emerge from the Arizona desert (and/or Denmark) to offer up another
Giant Sand album.
Provisions is their 16th or so, and it's more of the same desert-fried late-night country-rock poetry.
Gelb's sense of wordplay and rhyming is as unique as his close-miked sprechstimme. His production eccentricities have been smoothed out a bit and the album is on the mellow side for about the first two-thirds or so. Things really kick into gear for the last part of the album when the energy picks up and the production gets a bit more elaborate, finishing the album on a high note. An oddball project,
Giant Sand have kicked around from label to label for decades, but they've always managed to do things their way.
Provisions is
Gelb's vision, and it's been remarkably clear for a good long time now. ~ Sean Westergaard