Indie Music Album Reviews

Russ McRee - Spirited Away

7/19/2024

Russ McRee

Spirited Away
Raighes Factory; 2024

4.0 out of 5

By Dino DiMuro

Russ McRee is a studio-based guitarist, composer, and producer from Seattle who records music for the Italian label Raighes Factory. He has an album titled Pasts and Premonitions coming soon, and this advance all-acoustic single is titled "Spirited Away." Based on this track alone, McRee follows the folk guitar tradition of artists like John Fahey or Leo Kottke, though his press release describes it as “a serene ambience made up of country, folk, and chill beats.”

Perhaps it’s the joy of temporarily escaping those workaday shackles that creates the mellow tones found within his own music. This particular track is meant to be “…an experience of gentle love and peaceful introspection, a musical reverie that cradles the heart and soothes the soul. (The music) guides you into a world where time slows, and every moment becomes a cherished memory.”

McRee recorded in his home studio in Seattle, Washington using Reaper. Though the full album will feature additional instruments, this track consists of acoustic guitar overdubs against a simple trap loop. He recorded his guitars using live mics and guitar pickups simultaneously, which is a trick I’ve been meaning to try! It sounds amazing! Mastering was done by Roberto Diana at Raighes Factory.

As mentioned, the drum loop opening the song is exceedingly simple. The kick has more of a “poof” sound than a hard-edged “beater” with just the slightest snare drum interplay. Initially, I hear two acoustic guitars, both letting their strings ring out for an unusually long time. The opening section is a series of short patterns, with lots of breathing room between sections. The basic melody is simple, but the second guitar harmony quickly goes way beyond what I would have expected. Both the music and the feel of this track remind me of the extended opening of Fleetwood Mac’s “The Chain,” which was famously constructed from a rhythm loop. Up to now, most of the playing has been in a higher register, but at 1:18, the second guitar takes on a deeper, bass-heavy tone that’s quite striking. As the track winds down, all these touchstones are quickly revisited. The tone reminded me of Leo Kottke, but the melodies are much more of the John Fahey school.

McRee’s label was nice enough to send copious notes, and their description of this song is better than anything I could come up with: “The acoustic guitar, with its tender bends and nuanced tones, sings a song of longing and solace, reminiscent of distant dreams and quiet nights.” It is indeed a lovely track and an exciting preview of much more to come!