"It’s wholly fitting that this questing US pedal steel guitarist has chosen to interpret the nuevo tango of Astor Piazzolla on her latest longplayer. The late Argentinean composer presided over a revolution in traditional music by emphasising elements of improvisation, dissonance and counterpoint, while Alcorn seeks the total liberation of her instrument, away from the stifling confines of country accompaniment, by incorporating free jazz and classical composition into her extraordinarily singular designs.

The deeply affecting takes on Soledad are stocked full of such images, from Ornette’s ‘Lonely Woman’ (‘Adios Nonino’) to Wagner (‘Invierno Porteño’) and Vitali (‘Tristezas De Un Doble A’). Such allusions, uncovered during the
careful translation process, weave between the sonorous mercury glides and soft percussive phrasing coursing through these five exquisite pieces. Soledad ranks right there alongside Alcorn’s very best work, echoing the ecclesiastical tenderness and far more secular sorrows of previous low-key gems such as Uma and the appositely titled wonders of And I Await The Resurrection Of The Pedal Steel Guitar."

Spencer Grady