Recollection

Assembly of Dust have created an album of easy-flowing pop-soul with Recollection. The overall blueprint — Reid Genauer's Lowell George-styled vocals, smooth backing harmonies by his bandmates, and mellow funk arrangements reminiscent of Little Feat — is firmly in place on the opening cut, "Grand Design." Genauer is joined by keyboardist Nate Wilson, lead guitarist Adam Terrell, bassist John August Leccese, and drummer Andrew Herrick on ten original songs. The band has concocted a likable sound, though one heavily indebted to the mellow side of the above-named group. The harmony on songs like "Whistle Clock" is outstanding, and the guitar/keyboard mix adds a bright edge. Assembly of Dust also know how to mix upbeat songs like "Samuel Aging" with slower, ballad-paced material like "40 Reasons," giving Recollection a nice ebb and flow. The writers — Genauer and Wilson — know how to write catchy hooks that keep these rather long songs (most are over four minutes) interesting to the end. The album takes a short break from California funk near its end, offering the pleasant, country-flavored "The Honest Hour." The bandmembers and producer Josh Pryor have kept the overall production simple, allowing each instrument to stand out clear and clean in the mix. While Assembly of Dust often hold too closely to their sources, they have created a solid release with Recollection. ~ Ronnie D. Lankford, Jr., Rovi