Describing Jason McMahon's music is difficult. Unlike other eccentric creators, these pieces are obviously music. There are melodies and identifiable rhythms. It's the structure and presentation where description becomes more difficult.

Jason McMahon It's That Time Again (Shinkoyo)

The collage nature of these pieces is obvious, but I'm pretty sure McMahon has found an underlying frame for each song. Although his notes on the Bandcamp page are elliptical and circuitous, to say the least. Still, the pieces hold together, even if it is not necessarily obvious why.

Guitar and piano (or keyboards) predominate, although they are often processed into unusual sounds and placed into odd spots in the mix. Often, what seems to be a dominant element is relegated to the back of the sound. There is something of a hunting for a Frisbee in a thicket feel to all of this.

Does it make sense? Not to me, and I tried really hard to make sense of it. Perhaps that's the wrong move. Perhaps the right idea would be to simply let the sounds wash over and find meaning wherever it might alight. Either way, this curious set will be intriguing me for months to come.

Jon Worley