Our old pal Lys Guillorn returns to the Ball of Wax sphere with “Dialtone,” a dark, dreamy meditation consisting of minimalist, layered electric guitar (with a hefty dose of e-bow) and Lys’s weary, languid voice. There’s no chorus or refrain and the lyrics are somewhat difficult to parse – your ear catches on phrases like “she sings a dialtone” and “how do you fly this thing?” – and the melody constantly shifts and evolves throughout the piece, like a beautiful little mini-raga. I think it pairs nicely with Raymond Anderson’s tune, as yet another sub-three-minute opus with more depth than can be properly appreciated in the first few listens. (Hey, who’s the genius who sequences these things?)
I don’t know when we’ll ever get Lys out to Seattle again, but if you live in Connecticut this Nutmegger and her band will likely be playing near you soon. Catch a show, why don’t you?