Since 2000, New Zealand-based experimental guitarist
Roy Montgomery has been far less prolific than he was in the '90s, having dedicated far more of his time to non-musical pursuits such as his career as a professor at Lincoln University. Aside from soundtrack work and limited split LPs with
Grouper and
the Dead C's
Bruce Russell,
R M H Q: Headquarters is
Montgomery's first major solo work since 2000's
The Allegory of Hearing and its companion album, 2001's
Silver Wheel of Prayer. The project is a sprawling four-disc behemoth, with each album inhabiting a particular mindset and having a distinct theme.
R: Tropic of Anodyne showcases
Montgomery's weary baritone vocals, which have only graced a handful of his prior recordings. His lyrics are wry, alienated, and sometimes self-deprecating, particularly on the biting "You Always Get What You Deserve." His guitar playing seems languid and sparse, but it's far more detailed than it appears on the surface. Songs like "As the Sun Sets" (which ends with an excellent, aching guitar solo) manage to sound dark and ethereal without being goth, and the disc is a dreamy set of bitter ruminations. ~ Paul Simpson
