I’ve had an advance copy of avant garde guitar hero Steve Gunn‘s new album Way Out Weather (out today on the Paradise of Bachelors label) for some time and it’s been one of my favorite things to listen to over the summer. Clearly I wasn’t the only fan, the album got an 8.0 and a rave review at Pitchfork today.

Brooklyn-based Gunn is perhaps best-known for formerly being a part of Kurt Vile’s group The Violators but this new album is his tenth long player since 2007. There’s not really a lot of biographical information about him out there despite his over fifteen years as a working musician, but the music speaks volumes anyway. The complexity of the songwriting on Way Out Weather is a clear indication that it’s the work of a seasoned professional going someplace deeper. There is a profound craftsmanship to what he does here. Gunn really pushes the boundaries of what an acoustic guitar can express, that’s for sure. He’s got an interesting voice, too.

Here’s the exclusive premiere of my favorite number from Way Out Weather, its wild finale, “Tommy’s Congo.” It sounds like the bastard lovechild of La Monte Young and Jerry Garcia or a slightly sinister Krautrock meets Laurel Canyon-flavored version of Terry Riley’s “A Rainbow in Curved Air”!
 

 

 
The video for “Way Out Weather”: