Though piano gets a lot of attention here at DC, other stringed instruments deserve attention, too. So this week we are directing our ears toward guitar strums and banjo plucks coming from down south. Way down south.
Andrew Tuttle grew up in the community of Alexandra Hills, outside Brisbane, and his fourth album serves as a tribute to the place he learned to love music. Though electronic finishes tinge the music found on Alexandra, the aforementioned guitar and banjo (and a bit of pedal steel played by Chuck Johnson), take center stage. These instruments often get mentioned in the same breath as "bluegrass" or "country" - genres with rural origins, but here, Tuttle's songs are titled after shopping centers, convenience stores, and city intersections. Not exactly what one would expect, but an interesting characteristic of a uniquely beautiful album. Tuttle has shared stages with Steve Gunn and Ryley Walker (among many others) in the past, and the same airy jams that lift up the songs of those artists are present here. The album closer, Platypus Corridor, is not only a highlight and great example of Tuttle's style, but also serves as a satisfied exhale after a completed journey through the town he calls home.