Dustin Wong is a guitarist in Baltimore spazz/noise rock gang PONYTAIL, who we here at the HASSLE have enjoyed over the years.
We even helped put on a BOW Show that they played @ Obriens in Allston. Oh the memories. Well, if you’ve seen Dustin play, in PONYTAIL, or otherwise, you know that he is a mesmerizing guitarist. And as would make sense of such a guitarist, he makes solo recordings where his guitar skills are on full display. DREAMS SAY, VIEW, CREATE, SHADOW LEADS is his second solo recording and it’s out on THRILL JOCKEY. It is an almost wholly instrumental loop spectacular,the songs building and building to insane climaxes from beginning to end. Wong utilizes many different guitar timbres throughout the record thereby creating an often dense, often syncopated wall of guitar. A departure from his first solo outing, most of this record was recorded live. So these sounds are the same as you would hear in a live setting. Such a thought really makes me hope this guy is coming to Boston soon. “Toe Tore Oh” is rocking some serious John Carpenter soundtrack vibes, with the guitar taking on the character of multiple synthesizers. “Pink Diamond” starts off with a sick slap backed beat, and proceeds to take us on a spectacular guitar journey. Offering a bit more in the way of structure than some of the other tunes, this jam is the high point of the album with its soaring guitar melodies an undeniable groove. All that said my favorite track is probably “Purple Slipped Right” a nasty, short number that drops a back beat on you when you least expect it. NES sword and sorcery epic(I’m thinking perhaps Wizards and Warriors style) triumph jam right here. Dustin Wong is a true guitar hero of the now. Chill out to this soon, you will not be disappointed.
