On My Way to Absence continues on the similar delicate path that
Jurado paved starting with
Where Shall You Take Me?, with subtle differences.
Jurado seems to broaden his palette with which to express this dark business of life on
On My Way to Absence -- lush strings swirl underneath tracks like "White Center" and "Night Out for the Downer," while the use of minimal electronics, keyboards, and samples creeps up on tracks like "Big Decision" and "A Jealous Heart Is a Heavy Heart." All of this is sequenced next to the stripped-down and melancholy rock tracks that
Jurado is known for, the dark confessional "Fuel" and the raw "I Am the Mountain" being the best examples.
On My Way to Absence offers many new areas of musical exploration, suggesting a more mature arranger in
Damien Jurado mingling with the wonderfully sad storyteller and vivid landscape painter that he is already known for on previous releases. ~ Francis Arres