Canyon

Canyon’s five members treat reinvention itself as an artistic discipline, summoning the spectral presence of Neil Young, Pink Floyd, and the Nebraska-era Bruce Springsteen. Drawn from the ranks of emo-rock pioneers Boys Life and Farewell Bend as well as Slowdime Records founder John Wall, the group relies on the classic configuration of acoustic guitar, bass, and drums to outline spare frameworks for country-rock ballads that stand at a considerable remove from their earlier work. Lap steel, harmonium, horns, and keyboards are then layered onto those frameworks, yielding expansive, richly textured arrangements grounded in the ballad tradition of American rock yet open to an eclectic range of influences. Notably missing from the resulting sound are any traces of the members’ previous projects; although the band’s intended audience appears to lie within independent music circles, its atmospheric balladry aligns more closely with Low, Mohave 3, Slowdive, or Ida. The lineup comprises Brandon Butler on guitar, lap steel, and harmonica; Joe Winkle on electric and acoustic guitars, harmonium, and lap steel; Derry Deborja on Fender Rhodes and accordion; Vin Novarra on percussion; and John Wall, who handles vocals and guitar in a manner clearly indebted to Springsteen’s delivery. Trumpeter Amy Heath and vocalist Yalan Pipillions augment the ensemble on occasion. The overall aesthetic fuses the raw texture of classic Americana with the reverb-soaked, lo-fi sensibility of indie ballad acts. Canyon first assembled in Washington, D.C., during the final months of 1999 and issued a self-titled debut album on Slowdime Records in January 2001. That recording was made at Trans Am’s National Recording Studio in the same city. A round of brief regional and national tours followed throughout spring and summer 2001. Later the same year Gern Blandsten reissued the debut and, in 2002, released the follow-up Empty Rooms. A decisive advance beyond the tentative character of the first album, Empty Rooms was supported by consistent touring that produced the band’s initial live document, Canyon Live in NYC.