“Bryce Dessner is a man who slips in and out of musical guises with disarming ease… this is gorgeous and full-hearted music.” – NPR
Bryce Dessner in Grammophone: read
Bryce Dessner interviews Philip Glass for Interview Magazine: read
Bryce Dessner and Steve Reich on BBC Radio 4 Minimal Impact: Listen
“Music for Wood and Strings” is proof that Dessner’s taste for experimentation outside indie rock is steadily becoming the more interesting side of his genre-blind personality.”
– The Washington Post
“The result is startlingly enjoyable. Dessner continuously indulges the listener, stacking his instruments’ unique timbre into appealing, consonant harmonies, and hocketing them into a elaborate rhythmic dialogues with each other.” – Q2
“The music has a folksy freshness and laid-back sparkle. But it also dissolves the division between drums and electric guitar, and slyly promotes the bassist.” – New York Times
“The most impressive feature of Music for Wood and Strings is the diverse array of emotional impulses it cohesively presents. The piece feels unified and whole, like a rug woven together from a million particolored strands of yarn.” – Consequence of Sound
“It is glacial, patiently ecstatic… Dessner’s ear for string writing is particularly rich.” – Pitchfork
“[Dessner] has spread his wings as a classical composer.” – New York Times
“With this work, Dessner has proven himself a master of orchestral colour… its breadth and depth were palpable as full brass and percussion brought the work to its apex.” – Classical Voice America
“It is glacial, patiently ecstatic… Dessner’s ear for string writing is particularly rich.” – Pitchfork
“A gorgeous and compulsively listenable four-track album.” – Rolling Stone
“A series of captivating and compelling compositions… an excellent debut disc.” – Grammophone
“Mr. Dessner’s work begins in near-darkness and progresses to light…Kronos gave a taut performance, deeply felt.”
– New York Times
New York Times Interactive feature on “Aheym”: view
“The score has vivid instrumentation with marvelous upward string slides.”
– New York Times
“The result is “Black Mountain Songs,” an exhilarating 90-minute staged choral work…The sheer beauty of [Brooklyn Youth Chorus’] singing was captivating.”
– New York Times