Pedal steel guitar is intertwined with the history of country music, and while the instrument occasionally surfaces in other contexts, few musicians have pushed its potential like Susan Alcorn. Pedernal includes five of her compositions performed by an ensemble whose members have played with Thurston Moore and John Zorn, to give an idea of the sonic terrain. The music is calmingly melodic and capable of gentle cacophony as it slips out of easy definitions and categories even as it hints at inspiration from the ‘60s jazz avant-garde.