{"product_id":"sean-thompsons-weird-ears-inner-principles","title":"Sean Thompson's Weird Ears - Inner Principles","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSean Thompson\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e has spent more than a decade becoming one of the most versatile guitarists in Nashville. He currently tours as a guitarist for \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMargo Price\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, and his nimble, lyrical playing has anchored bands led by \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eErin Rae\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e and a long roster of Music City mainstays. He is also one third of the kosmische trio \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eShrunken Elvis\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, alongside \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eRich Ruth\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e and \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSpencer Cullum\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, whose acclaimed self-titled debut arrived on Western Vinyl in 2025. With \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003eInner Principles\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, his first entirely instrumental album, Thompson gathers all of those instincts into something that feels like a genuine new chapter.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eIt is a jazz fusion record in the richest sense of the term: virtuosic but unfussy, exploratory, and stylistically restless from one track to the next. The eight pieces move easily between ECM-style spaciousness in the spirit of \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eJohn Abercrombie\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, smoky acoustic picking, loose late-night boogies, and sleek post-rock adventures, with synths that flash now and then toward \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eJan Hammer\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e territory. You could believe much of this music arrived in 1978 or 1983, and that timelessness is the point. Thompson plays a quick game of spot-the-influence and then keeps moving, never settling anywhere long enough to sound like a tribute.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAt its core the album is a trio of Thompson, \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eEric Slick\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e on drums, and \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAlec Newman\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e on bass, opened up by a handful of trusted collaborators: \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eJake Davis\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, who produced, engineered, mixed, and adds synthesizers; his Shrunken Elvis bandmate Rich Ruth on guitar; and \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eJo Schornikow\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e on keys. That ensemble interplay is the heart of the record, and for all its technical command, \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003eInner Principles\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e never coasts on chops. Every track finds real feeling, from the wide-open drift of \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003e“Underwater Way”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e to the tender \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003e“Waltz For Mama.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThompson self-released \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003eInner Principles\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e digitally and previewed the material live at Big Ears. Western Vinyl presses it to vinyl for the first time, giving one of Nashville’s most quietly essential players his fullest statement yet.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"WESTERN VINYL","offers":[{"title":"Black Vinyl LP","offer_id":59725554123097,"sku":"SDZ-53898","price":27.99,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0588\/3455\/0945\/files\/0047406114_10.jpg?v=1791218054","url":"https:\/\/spindizzyrecords.com\/products\/sean-thompsons-weird-ears-inner-principles","provider":"Spindizzy Dublin","version":"1.0","type":"link"}