Pure Ambiance: Matt Lajoie's Paraclete Tongue/Sun Language
Maine-based musician Matt Lajoie has released his first all-electric solo guitar records that runneth-over in both grandeur and stillness. Paraclete Tongue and Sun Language are “cosmic pastoral” efforts that will bring you peace and harmony in 2021.
Paraclete Tongue and Sun Language are companion albums recorded during the summer to be released in the coldest part of the year. With Paraclete Tongue, Lajoie’s goal was “to bottle the summer’s solar warmth, the dancing lights of far-off star systems, and the flickering flame of candle-lit altars.” With music that feels and sounds like a cosmic solar-flare dancing in space, Lajoie has certainly succeeded. The LP spans 47 minutes across 4 tracks of serene, fuzzy electric guitar. Largely improvised, Paraclete Tongue moves with accord for the vibrations of the universe that then give way to moments where the artist could have only been fully consumed with his instrument and the music. While holding onto the harmonious nature of the record, these moments offer clear contrast and are a welcome interruption from comfortable hypnosis.
Sun Language consists of four tracks that have names like “Ra Data” and “Helioah” that make reference to the sun… literal sun language. The album is something of a bonus to Paraclete Tongue, and moves incrementally and predictably, like the sun moving across the summer sky. Its cleaner composition stands in contrast to Paraclete Tongue’s fuzzy edges, giving listeners distinction and offering them choice. According to Lajoie and Flower Room Records, the recording consists of a single, uninterrupted 40-minute improv session that was recorded live. Visions of Lajoie peacefully plucking away at his guitar add to the sonic, rolling tranquility of Sun Language.