Howe Gelb has been in my periphery for a while, but I’ve never bothered myself enough to seek out his music. Then I was given for review proVISIONS, his first Giant Sand album in four years. Now, I’ve experienced my share of “grower” albums over the years, but there are grower albums and then there are albums that slap you upside the head when you least expect it. My first impression of proVISIONS was indifferent at best and completely uninterested at worst. I gave it two or three subsequent listens, but with no more of a positive outcome, I shelved it, planning to give it one more listen closer to release date, bang out a review, and be done with it. The album, however, had other plans as it wormed its way into my subconscious so masterfully that my planned final spin of the album blew me away just a little bit. Continue Reading