The album starts with the title track, producing steep crescendo’s and a strong pulse. Homecoming is more playful and reminiscent of Spencer’s classic violin / guitar duets. In this case, the guitar part employs a Mississippi John Hurt style of finger-picking while the violins weave their way in and out - reminding me of who I am and what I do best. Ransom Rocket is a ‘spirit outtake’ from the previous album Riffs on a Broad Reach. Taken from a pop folk loop I’ve played live over the years, it’s the first song to introduce Spencer’s own mandolin work alongside the driving guitars and fiddles. Waking debut’s Spencer’s viola, adding warmth to the string ensemble, while the guitar highlights the articulate voice of his new Muleskinner mahogany guitar. Hushed is Our Quiet Room is a song that’s been around for years but never successfully recorded - until now - possessing a profound melody and backed with lush viola/violins. Morning Wonder was a lost song, recorded in 2018 and recently re-discovered. It’s a passionate tour-de-force of guitar and soaring violins with a distinct melody leading the way. Venus, Morning Star and Venus, Evening Star were both part of an epic ‘stream of consciousness’ session and features the new mandolin tracking derived from Spencer’s longstanding compositional approach with the violin (no surprise with the mandolin tuned the same as violin). In this case, it yields delicate melodies and harmonies. An August Healing is the only song where the guitar part was recorded on my in-the-moment hand-held recorder, while all the other tracks were over-dubbed in the studio. The Benevolent Will utilizes the meditative and sacred ‘backwards D’ chord configuration - with a touch of mandolin for added sparkle. Solitude Spring Suite was a series of the same song played in different ways with the guitar tuned to open-D. Homecoming (Reprise) was a short piece among the plethora of takes from the Homecoming sessions. Finally, Warmth of Yesterday was a track at the end of the Venus sessions, a classic I-IV chord structure to provide the kind of statement I am most noted for.
