Heartbreak Pass

by Giant Sand

Overview

Giant Sand isn't really a band these days; instead, it's a concept that has emerged from the mind of Howe Gelb, and ultimately, that's all for the best. It's hard to imagine how Gelb could get one reasonably sized set of musicians to conjure up the many moods and tonal colors of Giant Sand's 2015 studio effort Heartbreak Pass, but by jumping back and forth between several states, countries, and continents, he's not only come up with an uncommonly rich and imaginative set of performances, he's made an album that scans remarkably well considering the miles he logged putting it together. One tune, "Done," was cut during sessions in Brussels, Crete, and Ottawa, while "Heaventually" features bits recorded in Italy, England, Tennessee, and Arizona. As Gelb says in the liner notes, Heartbreak Pass comprises "3 volumes of 15 songs here representing living 2 lives for 30 years. Don't do the math. It doesn't figure." And he's right, it doesn't, but if the numbers are faulty, the emotions are not, and all that globetrotting does serve a thematic purpose. One of the key recurring themes on Heartbreak Pass is the nomadic life of a musician, and how hard it is to hold on to the people you love when you're hopping on planes, battling jet lag, or simply trying to remember where you are. One of the album's most touching songs, "Home Sweet Home," deals with the nuts and bolts of a touring artist's routine, and the closer is, significantly enough, a rough but sweet duet between Gelb and his teenage daughter, "Forever and Always." This being Giant Sand, Gelb's longing and weariness are filtered through his smoky, warmly downbeat vocals and an arid melodic style that fuses the C&W melodies with enough left turns and electronic seasoning to remind us we're not in Tucson anymore, at least most of the time. But Gelb's songs are always heartfelt behind his occasional eccentricities, his musicians (who include Jason Lytle of Grandaddy, former Sonic Youth drummer Steve Shelley, Grant-Lee Phillips, and Ilse DeLange) do splendid work on Gelb's behalf, and John Parish's production smarts hold the album together gracefully. Heartbreak Pass is, like much of Howe Gelb's best work, an ambitious project that still seems emotionally intimate, and revels in a ramshackle charm that belies how strong the elements truly are -- it's one man's unique vision, and if he's proud of it, well, he certainly should be. ~ Mark Deming

Product Details

Release Date:	11/04/2022
Label:	Fire Records
UPC:	0809236158611
Rank:	108558

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Giant Sand   Primary Artist
Sacri Cuori   Primary Artist
Howe Gelb   Tremolo,Piano,Guitar,Vocals,Fender Rhodes
ThOger T. Lund   Bass
Paula Jean Brown   Bass
Steve Shelley   Drums
Jason Lytle   Drums,Guitar,Keyboards,Distortion,Synthesizer,String Machine,Vocals (Background)
Winston Watson   Drums
Ilse DeLange   Vocals
Chris Schultz   Keyboards
Grant-Lee Phillips   Slide Guitar,Vocals (Background)
John Parish   Drums,Cymbals
Brian Lopez   Spanish Guitar,Vocals (Background)
Anders Pedersen   Guitar (Electric)
Voices of Praise   Choir/Chorus
Peter Dombernowsky   Drums
Lonna Kelley   Vocals
Asger Christensen   Violin
Antonio Gramentieri   Guitar (Rhythm)
Diego Sapignoli   Percussion
Gabriel Sullivan   Bass,Drums,Guitar,Spanish Guitar
Maggie Bjoerklund   Pedal Steel
Jon Villa   Trumpet
Nikolaj Heyman   Bass,Organ
Talula Gelb   Guitar,Vocals
Francesco Giampaoli   Bass
Dr. Iris Jacobsen   Viola
JB Meiers   Dobro
Lovely Quinces   Vocals

Technical Credits

Howe Gelb   Effects,Composer,Producer,Vocal Effect,Art Direction,Hand Lettering
Stephan Bayley   Engineer,Mixing
ThOger T. Lund   Engineer,Re-Arranged
Jason Lytle   Engineer,Producer
El Ciento   Illustrations
Ali Chant   Assistant,Vocal Engineer
Roger Seibel   Mastering
Chris Schultz   Engineer,Vocal Engineer
Dave Draves   Engineer
Grant-Lee Phillips   Engineer
Vinicio Capossela   Recitation
John Parish   Mixing,Engineer
Taketo Gohara   Engineer
Tom Beigrowicz   Design,Art Direction
Guy Sternberg   Engineer
Asger Christensen   Engineer,String Engineer
Gabriel Sullivan   Engineer
Matias Corral   Cover Photo
Talula Gelb   Composer
Francesco Giampaoli   Engineer
Oswaldo Terrones Campos   Engineer
Catherine Vericolli   Engineer
Ivica Plazonic   Engineer
JB Meiers   Engineer