Naive Shaman

Richard Youngs's vast and experimental catalogue--sometimes folk-inspired, sometimes abstract and avant, sometimes ambient and psychedelic--is difficult to categorize. His captivating THE NAIVE SHAMAN (2005) is no exception. Largely basing the music around loops, sounds, and atmospheres generated from a home computer, Youngs builds lengthy passages with gentle, modal singing and sheets of treated guitar and bass. There are only five compositions on the album, but each is a universe unto itself, unfolding before the listener in layers that intrigue and entrance.