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Custard Flux – Phosphorus

September 18, 2022 by A.S. Van Dorston

Greg Curvey’s fourth album with his mostly acoustic psych folk/prog project is a massive and engaging double album.

After releasing nine psych pop albums with his Chicago based group The Luck of Eden Hall in 1993-2016, guitarist Greg Curvey relocated to Michigan and continued his prolific output as Custard Flux. Here’s he’s more of a multi-instrumentalist one-man band, playing piano, harmonium, harpsichord, autoharp, drums and percussion as well as acoustic guitar and vocals. He fleshes out the arrangements with judicious use of electric guitar from his friend Vito Greco, double bass from Timothy Prettyman, flute from Jay Tausig and saxophone from Mars Williams. While still retaining some psychedelic flavor, this expansive progressive folk is often compared to early touchstones like Comus, Jethro Tull, Genesis and Van Der Graaf Generator. But ultimately, Custard Flux’s unique instrumentation and songs sound like nothing else I’ve heard.

For the most part, the music is more buoyant and uplifting, and while some of the meandering songs can be complex, the overall effect is washes of acoustic beauty and melody. While the third album Oxygen (2020) had some catchy standouts, I go to Custard Flux for the immersive experience in their gorgeous sounds. And Phosphorus is a goldmine of that, a massive double album clocking in at over 80 minutes. Curvey made a point in talking about making a pandemic-inspired purchase of a 1974 Harley Davidson Sportster. He grew up around motorcycles, and riding his new bike the summer of 2020 must have been therapeutic. By the time the Michigan winter set in and it was time to retire his ride to the garage, he had a head full of ideas for the next album.

The album plunges you into the deep end immediately with the 9:13 long “The Pretender/Memory Ends.” It started as a complaint about the Trump era but evolved into something more positive, while the latter half was inspired his brother-in-law and friend who passed away. The title track is an instrumental featuring a blazing acoustic vs. electric guitar battle, sounding like Red-era King Crimson with Hawkwind style space sax from Mars. That’s pretty much the template that acoustic/electric duo Elkhorn has established for several years, and I just learned that their new album Distances, was released the same day as this. Highly recommended if you crave more like this track.

The following tracks are some of the more accessible, structured songs. “Station” is a tribute to the days when you could hear something like the Mahavishnu Orchestra on FM radio. “The Man In Blue Wants Out Of His Suit,” is a fun, whimsical number that was originally released on a Fruts de Mer compilation. With “The Devil May Care/Sifting The Stars” we get into more expansive territory. That and the 10:45 long “By Order of the Grand Vizier” are highlights, with the latter settling into a nice motorik groove. “The Face of Mankind” closes the epic album with a lovely, ethereal interplay between acoustic picking and flute.

Phosporus is an essential mineral that’s a building block of bones, teeth and cell membranes, activates enzymes and balances blood pH. As album number four, it’s as essential to fans of Curvey’s work, and adventurous psych folk and prog in general.

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