Jeffrey Bützer: The Garden of Scissors

Aside from subtle touches of reverb on the guitar in “Suit of Flies,” or the ghostly echo of Sanni Baumgärtner’s Germanic coo in “Blue Ink Tears,” The Garden of Scissors could have been captured 100 years ago on a breezy summer day in Paris. Nods to Tom Waits, Ennio Morricone and Yann Tiersen’s Amélie soundtrack flourish in “Theme for a Tailor” and “Woolgatherer.” The wafting resonances of piano, accordion and a soft boom and chang create the fluttering tone for this invisible soundtrack where the narrative remains in the ether. Every note, every nuance and every song is a sparkling, cinematic gem that shines brightly out of time and place and it is utterly captivating. 4 stars