Nat Baldwin
‘Lights Out’
Broken Sparrow Records

It begins with a stalking, bow-driven bass line. Twenty seconds later, a haunting vocal jumps into its midst. The voice, somewhere between Roy Orbison and Thom Yorke, sets the mood that will prevail throughout the remainder of the CD. The listener is cast into a somewhat dark, extraordinarily tense, acutely dramatic fray of introspection. At this point, it’s best to turn out the lights.    

Aside from the uniqueness of a solo double-bass performance, the primary appeal of bassist and composer Nat Baldwin’s new CD, “Lights Out,” is its unrestrained emotional intensity. Having seen Baldwin play live at The Red Door, I have witnessed this artistic intensity incarnate. A tortured passion flows through the conduit of his limbs and into the bow. The resulting friction of strings penetrates the eardrums with schizophrenic asperity. Against your will, you find yourself inside Nat Baldwin’s head. 

There are eight songs total, beginning appropriately with “Wake Up It’s Time to Rise,” and ending with the uncharacteristically playful “Only in my Dreams.” All of the songs are Baldwin originals, recorded in January and produced by Sam Rosen who, with Juliet Nelson, provides backup vocals on two of the tracks. The CD was released this summer by Broken Sparrow Records.

If there is a criticism to be made, it is that it requires a particular mindset from its audience in order to be enjoyed. “Lights Out” does not work as background music. Do not pop it in unless you really want to sit down and listen to it. When you do put it on, be prepared to let your emotions swirl into the current of turbid, double-bass melodies. This ain’t pop.