New History Warfare Vol. 3: To See More Light
Colin Stetson established himself as an intensely original solo composer and performer in 2011 with the release of the widely acclaimed New History Warfare Vol. 2: Judges, which ended up on countless year-end lists. Anyone who has seen Stetson in solo performance can attest to the stunning physicality of his circular-breathing technique and capacity to produce a seemingly impossible palate of multiple voicings simultaneously in real time. New History Warfare Vol. 3: To See More Light is the final installment in a trilogy of solo albums, again recorded live in single takes and again mixed by groundbreaking producer Ben Frost. Colin's membership in Bon Iver has also led to vocal contributions from Justin Vernon for this record, who appears on four songs, and whose voice constitutes the only overdubbing on the album. New History Warfare Vol. 3: To See More Light is the most cohesive and fully realized of Stetson's solo albums to date. It should reliably stand as the apotheosis of the New History Warfare trilogy, and certainly signals the full flourishing of Stetson's unique talents as both composer and performer, pressing his arsenal of virtuosic techniques into the service of vivid, impassioned and conceptually astute songcraft.
The sprawling closing chapter of Colin Stetson's New History Warfare trilogy adds a welcome wrinkle in the vocals of Bon Iver's Justin Vernon-- sometimes angelic, sometimes metal brutal-- and sees the Montreal-based saxophonist explore extremes of darkness and light.
Improviser and composer Colin Stetson's solo work is characterized by dense sheets of saxophone/woodwinds that present a similar approach as loop-based music while being recorded in single live takes with no overdubs.
Sometime session saxophonist Colin Stetson has been blazing a strange and experimental path with his New History Warfare series, in which unique playing / recording techniques are wed to a boldly experimental tonal minimalism. Stetson’s technical mastery impresses; but save your wonder for the jarring, semi-apocalyptic mood. Like a brooding soundtrack to an as-yet unmade David Lynch film, a cloud of unease trundles throughout, relentlessly. Meanwhile, the defiant lack of structure and Steve Reich-ian repetition forces engagement at an almost metaphysical level.
You may not know it, but Colin Stetson's high-wire saxophone acrobatics are likely already embedded in your record collection.
Colin Stetson - New History Warfare Vol. 3: To See More Light review: The light at the end of Colin Stetson's proverbial tunnel