Nyanza

Placed tenth in a fifteen-track sequence, ‘Nyanza’ takes on a different quality than it might elsewhere: it is the album’s quietest moment in the back half, a loping waltz where PCBender gives the guitar the most room it has had since ‘Verdigris.’ The long, vocal-like string bends carry the kind of conversational phrasing you hear in early Robben Ford, where note choice matters more than note count. The rhythm section stays deliberately understated, keeping the lead guitar central without crowding it. After the compressed energy of ‘Zaffre,’ this track functions as a genuine breather, a reminder that the album’s most interesting moves often happen at slower tempos. The warm major-key tonality keeps it from tipping into somber territory. A dependable cut that rewards headphone listening, and one that earns more credit in sequence than it might seem to in isolation.