1X4X9 – “Leaving” – [Blue Arrow Records]

humana   7/1/2023   12-inch, A Library

The short tracks on this double LP from the LA-based music collaborative led by Greg Wooten are soundscapes that evoke the personal loss Wooten felt recently. The sadness of seeing nearly every track dedicated to someone are balanced by what Wooten says in the liner notes: “Everything is going to be OK… even the l e a v i n g.” Each composition testifies to this statement with the gentle instrumentations (sometimes featuring some lively percussion and great lap steel). Truly a worthy tribute to life in the midst of loss.