The Dead Tongues – Dust [CD]

Format: CD
Catalogue No.: PSY015CD
Barcode: 0850034504155
Release Date: 01 Apr 2022
Genre: Folk/Americana

Dust is the fifth album from The Dead Tongues, the folk project of the North Carolina-based songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Ryan Gustafson. After five months of not picking up an instrument, The Dead Tongues’ Ryan Gustafson wanted to get rid of everything that was tied to his identity as a musician. He even thought about changing his name. He was getting ready to throw out old notebooks packed with years of material but, for some reason, he decided to stop and go through them, just to see if there was anything worth saving. And sure enough, he found some images and lyrics, threads from former selves he didn’t want to lose. Thus was the catalyst for "Dust", his fifth and best album as The Dead Tongues. Gustafson recorded "Dust" in nine days, the fastest he’d ever recorded anything. It was the fastest he’d ever written anything, too – in the past, writing a song would take months, but this time he somehow felt freer, and wanted to have fun. The record was recorded at Sylvan Esso’s studio, Betty’s, in the woods of Chapel Hill, North Carolina. He built it out with help from a number of his musician friends - Joe Westerlund (Watchhouse, Megafaun, Califone) on drums, Andrew Marlin (Watchhouse) on mandolin, backing vocals from Alexandra Sauser-Monnig and Molly Sarlé of Mountain Man, among others. "Dust" is meant to be listened to while taking a night drive, farflung and roving and existential. Somewhere between the expansiveness of American jamband and the banjo-centric folk songwriting of Gustafson’s Appalachia home. Gustafson explains the thematic throughline succinctly: “It’s this idea of uprooting and rebirth and cycles, and the past informing the future, and the future informing the past. There is no single story. Everything is connected.” “[Peaceful Ambassador] has the same kind of wandering, bucolic vibes that have often defined his work, but also a little bit more of a fried ’70s Stones groove” – Stereogum // “All across Transmigration Blues, Gustafson shows his penchant for melody. He creates these huge, swooning moments in his choruses that make your stomach flutter and your eyes water.” - No Depression // “[Gustafson] knows how to parlay searching lyricism into revelatory Americana.... Transmigration Blues does that...with sun-scorched hymns that mark the end of a season of life and rhythms that fall somewhere between ruminative and rollicking.” - INDY Week // ““Peaceful Ambassador” falls somewhere in the folk-rock spectrum between James Taylor and Wilco. Warm and thoughtful, it often slips into a Byrds-like groove.” - Paste Magazine // Also Available From The Dead Tongues: Transmigration Blues LP/CD.

1. Pawnshop Dolar Bills 2. Dust 3. Garden Song 4. Through The Glass 5. Little Lies 6. Colorful Crosses 7. Ticket 8. James St. 9. SweetRelief