Ian O'Brien – A History Of Things To Come

Ian O’Brien’s third album, A HISTORY OF THINGS TO COME, marks somewhat of a change in direction for him. Whereas his first two albums were lush in their instrumentation and sound, A HISTORY… is much more spare, and ambient at times (like on the delicate “Vista Beleza”). The tracks here are also more freeform: where “Lucia (Pt. 1)” is almost all sound, “Spirits” is almost all African rhythms, which reappear on “Yemura.” But the Pat Methany cover, “A Midwestern Night’s Dream,” recaptures the emotional power while still remaining stripped-down, and “Zed” has a subdued funk that shows that he hasn’t lost his touch. “Teentown” and its propulsive brother, “Teentown Beats,” stick out as a more in-your-face track, almost at odds with the rest of the album, especially given how “Theme from Apollo,” which follows directly, is beatless. As is “Vagalume,” the rich, sweeping final track, which reminds us the gorgeous heights to which O’Brien can take us. So while this album is undoubtedly full of beauty, it’s a little more uneven than what O’Brien can normally deliver.