The cover for Big Wheel.
“Ghost of Fun,” the lead song from Christopher Cavaliere’s new album Big Wheel, starts off on a lope so easy and free that it takes a closer listen to appreciate the clever construction of it. There’s a guitar that draws the ear, but all around it, a organ bubbles, percussion doesn’t do quite the obvious thing. The song takes its time, building slowly but irrepressibly, pushed along by lyrics that show humor and humanity (“He prefers his drama first thing in the morning”). By the end, that lope is headed into outer space, floating off on clouds of fluttering synthesizers. We’re not going back to the beginning. Where are we headed?
“Ghost of Fun” is emblematic of the intelligent, engaging, and empathic songwriting, production, and performances all through Big Wheel. This is all the more impressive when the liner notes reveal that the album is entirely a solo effort from the southern CT-based musician, who lives in Bridgeport but regularly frequents just about every stage in the New Haven area, whether as a solo artist or as part of the bands Symphonic Bodega and DaDA Mr. — that is, when he’s not touring with the likes of Marc Ribot, Kaki King, or The Stepkids. Big Wheel shows why Cavaliere has established himself, as the album develops a core sound that lets the album cohere into a greater whole while also giving each song its own sonic space.
So “Thinkin’ Out Loud” has a country-fried strut to it, while “Don’t Hide Your Pretty Face” heads into more intimate indie territory. “ESSER,” meanwhile, combines acoustic and electronic percussion as well as variously processed guitar sounds to create a piece that’s more composed than simply played, as it works its way through several unexpected shifts without ever losing its accessibility or sense of real heart.
The titular track on the album succeeds in being both the most intimate and the most spacious track on the album, as it’s anchored by a delicate acoustic guitar and voice that, before long, float in a sky of atmospheric guitars and sparse percussion. But in another sense it’s a warm-up for what’s coming. In case there was any doubt in Cavaliere’s ability as a player “Souvenir in a Drawer” features Cavaliere on just voice and intricate, propulsive acoustic guitar, and it is more than enough to keep the ear and the emotions occupied. The next track, “Variations,” strips it all down to just guitar, working its way through a series of harmonic and melodic ideas to great effect.
“Two Brains to Burn” then returns to the full-band song, this time to a tonally ambiguous indie rock fitting Cavaliere’s off-kilter lyrics. “Old Reason” takes on a harder edge, letting Cavaliere deploy some grittier sounds that never get in the way of the track’s propulsive swing. The closer, “Dark Horse,” is as fitting as conclusion as a listener could hope for, as it uses a simple, sweetly written song to create an expansive landscape of musical textures, a dreamy backdrop to convey a sense of deep longing. “In another world, some other time,” Cavaliere sings. But lucky for us, we can listen to Big Wheel in this world, any time.
Big Wheel is available on Bandcamp and all streaming services.