wooden spoon's self-titled debut is hopeful journey. the man behind the mask, owen hills, takes us through the english countryside and into the great rivers of europe, hoping to search out salvation. on these eight untitled tracks, hills is an adept leader, showcasing his skills on acoustic guitar and piano. straight from the school of basho and fahey, this is music that seeks to please nobody but its creator. hills gained some much-deserved attention when he played a couple shows with co-hort (and friend) james blackshaw, peter wright, and josephine foster this past spring. the instrumental acoustic passages are accented with simple piano chords and harmonica notes. when the album closes, you are brought back to reality. it's disappointing to have the expedition through these quiet, folk-inspired moments end. thankfully, the journey is just a play button away. 100 copies