Mike Tamburo?s ?Beating of the Rewound Son? is another solid entry in the unfolding drone folk field. Quite a few talented musicians are popping out of the woodwork with a custom made affinity for old folk and blues that funnels down to a deeply felt appreciation of John Fahey and his peers such as Leo Kottke and Sandy Bull. Tamburo fits this mold perfectly. He?s a 6 string fingerpicker who likes to wrap his crisp tones in subtle ethnic and electronic flourishes. I?d not be surprised if he?s carefully dissected about a half dozen Pelt albums along the way, too. If you want to learn from the best, they are the raga folk illuminators.

Opener ?Adam?s Fruit Temptation? glides on a steady stream of processed electronics, mandolin, alarm clock, gong, bell, etc with Tamburo?s steady playing at the eye of the storm. Over 10 minutes he builds from a sweet melody to a buzz of drones and amp fuzz before setting off on a blues folk stroll only to be engulfed in more surging electronics. ?Kremlin Krab? switches things up with a drift of piano, accordion and faint electric smears, conjuring an echo drenched waterfall. Darker winds open the epic centerpiece, ?And You I Will Love Like Yoko Ono,? with an atmosphere that wouldn?t be out of place on an early 90s Current 93 album. It eventually builds to some fierce modal playing over a calm bed of prepared drone, Tamburo plucking a minimal melody that builds up to a blissful shower of tremolo. Closer ?My Time Machine Moves Slower Without You,? a nod to his previous work in Meisha and all who worship at the alter of Sonic Youth, is played on solo electric with some effects. Even here Tamburo uses his overtones wisely, conjuring a looped dream worthy of Steve Reich before unleashing rabid modal streaks, only to drop out to a faint minimal pulse that?s every bit as transcendent as the more intense tones.

Throughout ?Beating of the Rewound Son,? Tamburo and his accomplices allow each facet of the sound-space to coexist as integral components of the evolving whole. Parts are dense and layered, yet the arrangements never feel cluttered. And it doesn?t hurt that Tamburo can weave a stimulating string spell when he wants to. He?s not reached the heights of Jack Rose or Rick Bishop just yet, but he?s willing to follow in such footsteps, and inject some interesting ideas along the way. 8/10 -- Lee Jackson (28 June, 2006)