Juozas Milasius

Lithuanian guitarist Juozas Milasius is billed as the "enfant terrible" of the Baltic music scene, a confrontational purveyor of truculent noise. The enjoyable solo guitar compositions found on Slow are a case in point that one can't believe everything one reads ― listening is believing. Milasius's songs are certainly not abrasive, nor are they noisy. For the most part, he eschews effects: a twangy reverb, not unlike that of Mark Ribot, is the only striking embellishment found on these nine introspective tracks. Milasius chooses to construct his songs with slowly developing melodies and arpeggiated lines, and he uses silence to heighten anticipation. He is a deft improviser, with a keen ear and a knack for building pleasurable melodies. Slow is a meditative, almost cinematic work that's not completely unique but is engaging nonetheless. It certainly isn't confrontational.