Town & Country - It All Has to Do with It [Bonus Tracks]

All Music Guide

The third release from Chicago's Town Country continues the band's tradition of acoustic experiments with subtle textures and quiet sounds. At times having a similar feel to the more acoustic guitartinged work of Joan of Arc, It All Has to Do With It never jumps out at the listener. Instead, the music creeps around, and hardtofind rhythms provided by two standup basses continuously swell and relax with the interplay of piano, guitar, bells, and even accordion. Town Country has no real rhythm section, a factor that contributes a strangely freeform aspect to all of the compositions. Nonetheless, the four tracks on this record somehow manage to fill up 40 minutes of disc space, a concept that is difficult to understand or to consider tolerating upon first hearing the album's unapologetically laidback tones. Listening to this record at excessive volume or through headphones, however, should change the way everything sounds. With close inspection, it becomes evident that beneath the relat...ively constant feel of the album is a swirling and oftchanging backdrop. The 15minute closer, "That Old Feeling," slithers around slowly while a consistent drone reaches out from below, leaving the listener questioning whether or not to believe that Town Country doesn't use electronic loops for any of the band's creations. Superbly crafted and beautifully recorded, It All Has to Do With It is an expansive sonic experiment that is as relaxing as it is enjoyable. [The Japanese version included bonus tracks.] - Peter J. D'Angelo, All Music Guide Read more Less