Occasionally, a song comes along that doesn't so much play as it unspools. "Opener" by Dirk Garner is a distinct and dynamic musical journey that confronts musical boundaries and delivers something unexpectedly unforgettable.
And what started as a humble guitar riff taped on a cell phone has flowered into a towering work of music that is larger than life. Recorded in Garner's Concord studio, Opener has been executed with a fastidious degree of care, with in excess of 50 separate tracks comprising this piece that might best be likened to a striking-scale curtain-raiser that's delivered with intimacy.
Incorporating the groove of Funk, the Soul of Soul, the grime of Rock, and the catchiness of Pop, Garner has woven a tapestry that is greater than the sum of those parts. Instead of staking all too heavily a claim on either side, "Opener" instead plies its trade in the space where moods change on a dime, where feelings ebb and flow, and aesthetics come crashing together in ways that are consistently surprising and delightful.
There's a risk-taking quality in this track. It doesn't hold fast to tradition or safe formulas, it has a free, flexible sense of storytelling. Every passage seems like a chapter, luring listeners further in without offering much of a clue of where it's headed. That unpredictability is what makes it work. It makes you listen, keeps you curious, and ultimately keeps you coming back.
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