12 Cent Donkey - Where There are No Roads(GULCH 605)

"Where There Are No Roads" is 12 Cent Monkey’s sophomore offering, following 2004 Slippy Town CD-R release, "No Cash Value". 12 Cent Donkey is Massachusetts guitarists Steve Painter and Rick Breault.

I have heard this described as ambient and maybe that is the intention, but, if that is the case, then it just ain’t ambient enough. The first selection, the title cut, is the most "not there" of the 5. It leaves the impression that the "machine" was turned on and the "artist" walked off and left it to do it’s own thing. Not interesting or boring, just not "there". This nearly 11 minutes of nothing is followed up with an only slightly more interesting 15 min of next to nothing. But "Submerg" does, at least, give the impression of being "played". "Under the Bridge, "Swamp Shivers" is more of the same.

Not until the last selection, "To 7 Directions", does the eyebrow shoot up and take any note. The last piece is essentially a blues. What? A fractured, long-winded, post-atomic computer age blues, but, a blues nonetheless.

I can’t recommend this or even rightfully condemn it but if you are into a complete lack of melody, dynamic or rhythm then "Where There are No Roads" just might sweeten your tea.