Yesterday...and Tomorrow's Shells

Libraness is the first solo outing from former Polvo and Helium man Ash Bowie, an album that has been brewing since back in 1993 when Ash first started to put to tape songs he felt did not fit with either of his other bands. In 1999 he finally had enough material he was happy with to create a full album and with the production assistance of Eric Masunaga (Sebadoh, Dambuilders, Magnetic Fields and more) he set about tweaking and polishing the assembled songs. While displaying Ash's songwriting signature the tracks which make up `Yesterday And Tomorrow's Shells' are the product of the freedom that comes from solo experimentation and improvisation. Like his work with Polvo these finished recordings do their very best to wriggle their way out of any easy categoristion although at times they recall the idiosyncratic songwriting of Sonic Youth and Flaming Lips as well as Ash's previous combos. A distinctive and highly individual debut it's much easier to listen to than it is to write about, kinda what made Polvo so hard to resist.