For those not up to speed heres the down-low on Mr. David Grubbs. A former member of ‘Squirrel Bait’ and ‘Bastro’, he is probably best known for his collaborative work with Jim O’Rourke in Gastr Del Sol. (If at this point you are asking ‘who?’ then I direct you to ‘Camoufleur’. You can thank me later.) Since Gastr Del Sol broke up in 1997 Grubbs has released numerous solo records, soundtracks and collaborations. He is also an assistant professor of Radio and Sound Art at Brooklyn College.Grubbs previous records have previously been easy to divide into his interests: certain records explore his more structured songwriting, while others reveal the sound art and experimental side of his work. On ‘An Optimist...’ Grubbs has managed to combine the two, fusing his delicate, sparse guitar work with drones and free jazz drumming, as evidenced on the title track. As one of the people who set out the rules for this type of music it seems harsh to turn around and accuse this record of being generic, and it is not necessarily meant as a criticism. Rather, with it’s stripped, sparse guitar work and eerie resonances and suspenseful chord changes this is instantly recognisable as Grubbs’ work. You can draw a line from what is here all the way back to early 90’s Chicago, where Grubbs worked with the likes of Bundy K Brown and a pre-Tortoise John McIntire.On ‘Eyeglasses of Kentucky’, things become a lot darker, the staccato notes chiming out like a stripped down Shellac, Grubbs flattened tones resigned compared to Albini’s righteous indignation. In comparison, ‘Holly Fool Music’, is relatively upbeat, showcasing Grubbs’ talent for a melody, while calling to mind latter day Sonic Youth (the pop side at least).The album closes with the 11.50 of ‘The Not So Distant’, a series of drones, tones and noises that feel out of place within the context of the record, but certainly not out of context with the rest of his recorded output. There is much to admire here, and while it is unlikely someone will stumble open him anew as a result of this release, if they do they will find it a soothing and accesible, if not groundbreaking listen. 73%David Grubbs on Myspace