On Black Wind, songwriter / guitarist Wes Tirey makes the case for quality over quantity. Whereas his previous releases were turned inward, this album opens out like Terence Malick meditating on prairie grass. The arrangements are spacious, simple structures of voice and acoustic guitar, with sparse backing from a Telecaster and a trap kit.
Opener “All the Livelong Day” comes on like Karen Dalton dressed-down to parched bone, window-lit dust and old chairs, while the final and title track flutters in bursts, unfurling heavy-lidded at daybreak.
Wes Tirey has shared stages with peers such as Steve Gunn, Daniel Bachman, Elephant Micah, Tashi Dorji, and Sam Amidon. Black Wind’s release was consummated by a performance at the Mothlight on October 30, with Itasca in Tirey’s adopted hometown of Asheville, NC, followed by a short tour of the east coast.
Tirey’s playing has a grain-deep feel to it, something stirring and quite magical. ––The Guardian
Released via our good friends at Scissor Tail Records