Tyler,William Modern Country CD

Modern Countryßis the fourth full-length album by guitarist and composerßWilliam Tylerßand his first recorded outside of his hometown of Nashville, Tennessee. It features an ensemble backing group consisting of multi-instrumentalistßPhil Cookß(Hiss Golden Messenger, Blind Boys of Alabama), bassistßDarin Grayß(Tweedy, Jim O'Rourke), and percussionistßGlenn Kotche (Wilco). The album was tracked at April Base Studios in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, and finished in Nashville, recorded and mixed byßJon Ashley, and produced by Tyler andßBrad Cook. While there is never a comfort zone in instrumental music, Tyler attempts to leave any perceived one behind withßModern Country. His first album for Merge, 2013'sßImpossible Truth, found Tyler exploring the boundaries of composition for solo guitar in a manner that paid homage to everyone from Leo Kottke to Brian Wilson. It was an epic song cycle that veered from cathedral-like psychedelic hymns to pastoral folk melodies. In contrast,ßModern Countryßfinds Tyler exploring more focused melodic themes rather than ethereal wanderings. These aren't pop songs, per se, but they are closer in spirit to Neu!, Penguin Cafe Orchestra, and Bill Frisell.

1. Highway Anxiety 2. I'm Gonna Live Forever (If It Kills Me) 3. Kingdom of Jones 4. Albion Moonlight 5. Gone Clear 6. Sunken Garden 7. The Great Unwind