“Tracked in the decade after Duster went on hiatus, Canaan Amber’s debut solo EP CA demonstrates the California-born guitarist’s affection for San Francisco jangle and Santa Cruz surf.”
One problem with desert/surf rock (besides it being unclear the difference between rock made in a place without water versus a place with a literal ocean) is that it often edges up against smooth easy listening. (No offense it’s that your thing.) But that’s not what you get on Canaan Amber’s solo EP CA, originally released in 2010 when their Santa Cruz slowcore band Duster was in the middle of its two-decade hiatus. Just re-released on Chicago label Numero Group with seven demos added to the EP’s original five, the off-kilter, dazed, jagged tunes here wander along with a dour look in the face, minimal, entrancing, a little uneasy. Check out highlights “No Way”, “Everything Is All in One Place”, and “Wander Off”.
