This record covers emotional ground, via two sparse, sitar- and country blues-style acoustic guitar pieces, that is alternately sad and angry (its b-side is a reimagining of Black Flag’s “My War”). It is difficult to believe, while listening, how much Nugent has progressed and matured as an artist since his first self-released, self-titled CDr — he has improved so much since that record that at this point he almost doesn’t sound like the same person.
The first song here, “Grass Above My Head,” is perhaps the best song Nugent has written. It is a slow, modal piece that winds in very beautiful directions, specifically, directions that emerge naturally from each preceding section, a sign of very high critical faculties in musical composition.
While the two songs here don’t reach quite the plane that Nugent is probably capable of writing to, it is obvious from these songs that he is steadily improving with each subsequent release.
