by Joslyn Layne

This CD includes some of the music that guitarist Fred Frith composed for various films after he relocated to Germany in the early '90s. Since Eye to Ear is essentially a compilation, there's not necessarily any relationship between adjoining tracks. As good film music should, the tracks flow while nothing particularly sticks with you. Following a mellow, melodic, electric guitar and bass-led opening, comes "Backroom I," a piece that is somehow soothing in its noisiness, in the way that Loren MazzaCane Connors can be. While a misty electronic drone provides a light, satiny backdrop, Frith mimics a thumb piano with his electric guitar. The piece that follows offers mid-tempo, incidental music, as an accordion brings the Eastern European melodic threads out of the synthesized, sampled morass that then narrows, becoming less active. Following "Thea Und Nat," familiar blues and rock riffs emerge from a composition that sounds somewhat like a skipping grindcore album. After this track comes the gem of the album, "A Picture of Light," lasting over nine minutes -- a lovely, slushy piece that turns into a simple floating ambience. Nothing is hidden; everything rises and recedes in a cycle, as sounds move far and near in an ambience of water droplets and wind chimes. To enjoy Eye to Ear, familiarity with Fred Frith is not as relevant as is an affinity for film music.