Alan Licht & Loren Connors/ Into the Night Sky

Do you have a rusty needle? Mark Cousens suggests putting it in your eye as an alternative to listening to 'Into The Night Sky'

Filed in Alan Licht, Album Reviews | Released 08 March 10 on Cargo | By Mark Cousens

Alan Licht & Loren Connors
Into the Night Sky
(Cargo)

Despite what you may think, it’s not an easy life being a reviewer. Sure we get to hear albums before they are officially released and yeah we also get to keep them, but like the king’s food tasters of yore we also take a huge risk in order to protect you and your senses from sonic poisoning. Trust me, some of things we endure would make you weep.
And so to the sixth album from Messrs Licht & Connors. I haven’t come across these guys before but apparently they have been collaborating for some years. ‘Into The Night Sky’ comprises of just two tracks of 24 minutes each. Already I’m worried, but duty calls and so I settle into my listening chair and press play.
Track one starts with some fairly sparse and introspective guitar work reminiscent of Mark Knopfler; not a good start. Four minutes in and things haven’t really moved on much. 11 minutes and more of the same, with my eyelids starting to feel a little heavy. It’s now 18 minutes in and I’m hunting around for a rusty needle to poke myself in the eye with. After 24 minutes I can honestly say that a little piece of me has died tonight. Stay well clear.