Tim Hecker: Dropped Pianos

Label: Kranky

Wait a minute...a new Tim Hecker album? Isn't Ravedeath, 1972 still on steady rotation in the store? Far be it for us to complain when there's a new Tim Hecker release, but the news of this album still scared us a bit. Outtakes? Remixes (shudder)? Nope. According to his label, Dropped Pianos consists of "sketch pieces recorded in 2010 in preparation for what would become the Ravedeath, 1972 album." That's a bit surprising, since these nine "sketches" sound nothing like that great album, released in February of this year. Consider this a form of musical storyboarding, the skeleton before Ravedeath was fleshed out. That makes Dropped Pianos his most acoustic album; the pieces are spare and minimal but never New Agey. It's tempting to dismiss this release as a gimmicky knock-off, but this is a worthwhile purchase for Hecker fans; it's a fascinating glimpse into his creative process, a delightful record in its own right, and a great bargain for 32 minutes of music.