Lori Goldston

High And Low

Sofaburn Records

Goldston is best known as the cellist on Nirvana’s In Utero. She has played on a lot of other albums by artists as diverse as Earth, David Byrne, and Black Cat Orchestra, which she co-founded, and has released many solo and ensemble albums. This is her Sofaburn debut and it’s a great one.

The best way to listen to this album of amplified cello with effects, is to concentrate on the patterns made by her playing. It’s all little melodies and rhythms swirling around, but always propelling the music forward. Some tracks include percussion, like “Crossing Over Place,” played by Dan Sasaki, who has played with Jackie-O Motherfucker, Gun Club, and others, and "Moss on Rock," which features Dave Abramson on drums and percussion and Greg Kelley on trumpet. The drums and cymbals add more textures, which is another thing to look for: the shifting textures moving things along, and the interplay between percussion and cello.

The High section of the album is a tribute to a friend who had recently passed away, but the music is never mournful, more like a celebration of her life and a tribute. The Low section doesn’t have a unifying concept, but is as lively as the High section and just as exciting.

What this really is, though, is contemporary classical music, and those who like that will love this album. It’s special, it’s different, fun in its own way, and thrilling.

Andrea Weiss