Phantom Threshold is an instrumental release that resumes musical conversations started in Telescope, Steve’s 2008 pedal steel-based instrumental album. The core band, dubbed The Telescope 3 in reference to that release, is Jeremy Holmes (bass), Chris Gestrin (keyboards), and Jay Bellerose (drums/percussion). All of the tracks are Steve Dawson originals, except ‘The Waters Rise’ a co-write with Fats Kaplin, and a woozy cover of The Beach Boys’ ‘You Still Believe In Me’.
The album has an expansive Paris, Texas era Ry Cooder feel with a pulsing psychedelic undercurrent. Best listened to from start to finish as a complete experience, there’s a story arc that begins with ‘Cozy Corner’s mixture of sliding strings and celestial keyboards with a slight hint of early seventies Floyd. Musical themes appear, indelibly imprint themselves, shimmer, dissolve and disappear as new ideas to emerge. Dawson’s collective musical visions are finally deconstructed with ‘Whirlwind’ – an evocative, scratchy solo piece played on a Weissenborn with paper taped across the strings – that takes us home. Impressive in his ability to diversity, this is strong. Impressionist.