Love

Description

*Love* is Amen Dunes' most ambitious and luminous album to date. While the influences of *Astral Weeks*, Sam Cooke, Tim Hardin, Marvin Gaye, Hector Lavoe, and the cosmic meditations of Leon Thomas guided the writing of *Love*, the spiritual jazz of Pharaoh Sanders and Alice Coltrane from the late 60s/early 70s channeled its sound. *Love* speaks of time, love, and memory—universal themes. Where previous Amen Dunes recordings (*D.I.A.* in 2009, the *Murder Dull Mind* EP in 2010, and *Through Donkey Jaw* in 2011) allowed ample room for improvisation, with tracks often recorded in a single take over just a few weeks, *Love* is the result of over a year and a half of continuous work. Damon McMahon acquired new instruments, then immersed himself in classic American music. Also, unlike his previous albums, almost all of which were solo endeavors, *Love* brings together many musicians around McMahon and his two long-time collaborators: Jordi Wheeler (guitar and piano) and Parker Kindred (drums). Wishing to capture an emotion far from the confines of New York, Damon recorded most of the album in Montreal with Dave Bryant and Efrim Menuck of Godspeed You! Black Emperor. Members of Godspeed appear on several tracks, as does Colin Stetson on saxophone. The rest of the album was recorded in Brooklyn with Elias Bender Ronnenfelt of Iceage and Vår, who duets with Damon on the tracks "Green Eyes" and "Lonely Richard."