Howe Gelb: ‘Sno Angel Like You

The music of Howie Gelb and his on-again, off-again group Giant Sand is often described as Southwestern, as though we know what that means. Ah, the familiar sound of avocados and lizards.

“Southwestern Pop” isn’t exactly storming the airwaves; what southwestern means to me, in terms of music, is just Howie Gelb, Giant Sand, and Calexico. The one defines the other. And if ‘Sno Angel Like You is Southwestern, then so is Lou Reed, which is a classification he might object to.

‘Sno Angel Like You (or the project ‘Sno Angel and their album Like You - it’s all a little vague) took me back to my freshman year of college and Lou Reed’s New York album. Gelb has the self-assured, sardonic talk/sing delivery, the same amused resignation in the lyrics, and the same ability to create an infectious song out of unassuming parts. The major difference is that Howie Gelb is one of maybe four of five people on Earth who makes Lou Reed seem uptight.

Some people object to Gelb’s somewhat lackadaisical (he’ll call it lo-fi) approach to recording, but the payoff is in a record like Like You, where nothing feels forced. Gelb has backed himself here with the Voices of Praise Gospel Choir, a Canadian gospel group that is undoubtedly tired of jokes about Canadian gospel, so I’ll restrain myself. It makes for a lovely mix between the sway of the Voices and the directness of Gelb’s melodies.

Far from seeming like a gimmick, the addition of a choir gives dimension and power to these songs; the choir rises up under them and the songs are suddenly alive. The first two shaky, understated tracks on the album are so gorgeous that I started to expect something truly extraordinary.

Overall, it doesn’t quite hit the peak I was hoping for - too much of it doubles back over the same sonic territory with slightly less success - but Like You still has five or six tracks that will carry you away. Gelb has the album here that people have always thought he was capable of making. I love southwestern music, don’t you?

- Tom Vale
Giant Sand (Thrill Jockey)