In the realm of experimental cello work, Arthur Russell’s “This Is How We Walk on the Moon” remains kingly. The avant-garde composer’s ghostly tune from the 1980s anchored the instrument, warm and loping, amid sparse electronic elements. Even in changing technological times, Russell preserved the cello’s organic nature.
Anytime cello mingles with ambient elements, Russell comes to mind. But on “Movement” — the dynamic new release from tinkering duo Wren Cove out this month on DIY label Basement Factory Music — cello is but one color in a palette that also includes tape loops, guitar explorations and even tabla accompanying a raga.
Wren Cove’s guitarist Andrew Cloninger and cellist Melissa Davies have made music together for half a decade. As such, their chemistry allows these 11 tracks to attack and retreat, leaving room to breathe and take on cosmic shapes of their own. Both play the loops, and Cloninger is adept on the synthesizer pads, too.
“Warsaw,” a standout, features cello and guitar sketches, but its sensational performance is a shuffling live drum beat — human percussion always beats the mechanized alternative. Opening tune “Rushbird” finds the sacred space between Led Zeppelin’s “Kashmir” and a shimmering drone.
Wren Cove’s unplugged post-rock recalls groups like Balmorhea: too pop-minded to be academic and too direct to fall into the experimental deep end. This suits the music well.
“Movement,” engineered by Ben Morey, is always within reach, even as the sonics evoke the blur of motion. The humid and baroque “Wills” is led by a swelling cascade of cello, while “Havana” spans the other end of the spectrum with plinking electronics.
“Movement” follows and expands the scope of Wren Cove’s improvised 2022 EP, “Trees.” It also pairs beautifully with the wonder of “This Is How We Walk on the Moon.” The unique blend would’ve made the late Russell proud.
