I'm going through my once-a-year gastr loving stage.
After careful consideration, I've decided that "mirror repair" is my favorite work by them (coincedentally recorded by albini). The second song, that 9 minute one with the piano and the weird electronics is just amazing.
But, as far as a long player goes and a future "classic album" (since mirror is just an ep), "UPGRADE AND AFTERLIFE". My god. That album is almost nothing but acoustic guitar (with minor electronic accompanyments, drums in one song, some piano, and that weird noise part in the third track) but... it sounds exactly what you'd think a sad, lonely Kentucky afternoon would sound like. The fact that it's David Grubbs (from the intense and underrated Bastro) and Jim O'Rourke doing this stuff makes it all the more tantalizing to you, the sonic youth fan.
I'm just now dwelving into O'Rourke's solo shit (I'd heard a few releases before but I mean I'm checking out everything at this point), and while I prefer Gastr, some of this shit is GENIUS. Wow. Jim! This guy was IN sonic youth?! Haha. "I'm Happy and I'm Singing" is just unbelievable. Truely an inspiration to me, some of the best music I've ever heard.
But yeah.. GASTR DEL SOL!
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