Plankton Wat - Hidden Path (2022)

First released as a limited cassette at the end of 2017 (and later issued on vinyl by Thrill Jockey), Hidden Path was Dewey Mahood's first album as Plankton Wat since 2013's excellent Drifter's Temple. An outgrowth of a song written at the same time as that album, the release is escapist and introspective, created with the thought of following one's own passions in mind. Opening track "The Inward Reflection" was created by Mahood solo, and his guitars flicker and chime at the beginning before he ends up furiously shredding. Additional musicians such as bassist John Rau, flautist Ash Dybvig, and multi-instrumentalist/post-producer Dustin Dybvig join Mahood on some of the subsequent tracks, including the slightly dubby trickle of "Dream Cascade" and the synth-driven "Hidden Path," which complements ticking drum machines with acoustic drumming. "The Everflowing Stream" buries Matt McDowell's lap steel under a canopy of sparkling guitar distortion. "Awaken" is a much more friendly, intimate acoustic number with occasional stretches of dazed-out, wordless vocals emanating from the sidelines. "Fields of Remembrance" is more of a mystical classic rock jam, approaching "Dust in the Wind" vibes. Throughout the album, Mahood sets parameters for himself to meander and follow his impulses. Each track feels like a visit to a different area of Mahood's psyche, stoked by a different flame of inspiration.