Willard Grant Conspiracy – 3am Sunday @ Fortune Otto’s

Simplicity is ravishing. Here’s a record that has no liner notes except the statement, “Anyone who tells you they played on this, probably did.” The songs are not listed anywhere on the package — except for the actual CD, which is in the player, which means you have to write down the tracks to know… you get the point.

The music is equally simple, yet elegant and breathtaking. Massachusetts seems to be churning out some great atmospheric, breathy music lately — take the Scud Mountain Boys, or Bill Morrissey’s latest. Perhaps more tranquil than the Scuds, this Boston-based assemblage — and word has it that these are some of Boston’s better musicians (no conformation of that) — just might be the best of the New England quiet bands I’ve heard yet. “Morning is the End of the Day”, with a sparse harmonica in the forefront, kicks things off — for all of 39 seconds. The intro flows directly into track two, “Clockwork Timing Device”, on which the lead vocalist declares, “All of my worries roll out the door / All of my worries don’t worry me anymore.” The track also has some of the most quiet, serene cello and guitar accompaniment I’ve heard anywhere, on record or onstage. “Siren on the Rocks” showcases more beautiful arrangements, with two acoustic guitars and more of that deep, soothing voice, like a calmer of Mark Lanegan but just as rich and vibrant. “I don’t remember, I don’t recall why I came here at all.” You can almost hear the facial expression.

Crickets introduce the listener to Walter Salas-Humara’s “The Only Story I Tell”, a drop-dead gorgeous love song performed as a duet between a man and a woman. At just under three minutes, it’s more of a lullaby between the two, delivered with the kind of conviction and warmth that recalls Gram and Emmylou. Warm, in fact, is a perfect word to describe 3am Sunday at Fortune Otto’s. While the record starts to sound a bit too similar by the last two or three songs, by that point it doesn’t matter much.

Willard Grant Conspiracy will not waste any of your time with long booklets and thank-you’s and technical blabbing. What they might make you do is grab some headphones and a bottle of wine and head out to the nearest large field or hill, where you can lay down, close your eyes, and let a gentle breeze take you somewhere else. Just don’t forget to press the repeat button.