I Hear It In The Rain

They Say...

Review by François Couture, All Music Guide

It has been said that there is something of Claude Debussy in Michael Jon Fink's compositions. The ones culled on I Hear It in the Rain reinforce this feeling. The CD is split into two parts. First we have a series of short solo keyboard pieces grouped into three works. "Five Pieces for Piano" and "Two Preludes for Piano" have the ethereal feel of Erik Satie and the dreaminess of Debussy. The slow pace and sparse notes cannot be mistaken for over-simplicity: the emotional charge conveyed is too great to be deemed minimalist or even easy. "For Celesta" follows the same stylistic guidelines, but this time on an instrument rarely heard in solo context. All of these are impeccably performed by Brian Pezzone and were recorded in November 2000. The second part of the disc comprises two longer works mixing acoustic and electronic instruments. "Living to Be Hunted by the Moon," recorded in 1988, is a slow-evolving soundscape. Fink provides samples, while Marty Walker blows long notes (he is overdubbed, two tracks of clarinet, two of bass clarinet). Once again, less is more. The piece does get a bit overstretched, but its meditative mood and the subtle changes of colors make it worthwhile. "I Hear It in the Rain" is a gorgeous dreamy piece: a simple repetitive figure graced by Rick Cox's delicate electric guitar melody. Dan Morris adds washes of cymbals. This newest addition (recorded in March 2001, two months before the CD was released) will appeal to fans of the post-rock group Godspeed You Black Emperor! I Hear It in the Rain is the kind of album one completely misses if listened to absentmindedly. Its meaningful simplicity needs an occasion to find its way under the listener's skin.