Don Peris – Go When The Morning Shineth

As half of husband-wife duo the Innocence Mission, guitarist Don Peris provides a sonic signature as important to the bands sound as his partners exquisite voice, if less front-and-center. On his second solo outing, Peris wisely goes the instrumental route (save for a couple of carefully-sequenced exceptions, with vocal assistance from Karen Peris and Denison Witmer). His 2001 disc Ten Silver Slide Trombones relied too much on his singing, which, while not without its subtle charm, isnt his strong suit. This time out he lets his gift for melody and arrangement carry the day, resulting in gorgeously orchestrated soundscapes of guitar, bass, cello, keyboards, and minimal drums (all of which he plays). Go When The Morning Shineth leans toward suitably short sketches; three of its fourteen tracks run less than two minutes, with three others under three minutes. Usually, thats all the time he needs to cast an utterly beguiling spell which lingers long after the last notes have faded.