Track Review: "Spirits"

Artist: The Nth Power
Release Date: April 20, 2013
Label: Independent
 
On 4/20, The Nth Power showed us what they got with their first release Basic Minimum Skills Test. The album is available for $6 (USD) on their Bandcamp page.

Basic Minimum Skills Test kicks off with "Spirits,” beginning with a extremely airy feeling section lead by locked in South American sounding percussion before a swampy guitar lick sweeps in and carries the track onward. "Spirits” brilliantly showcases what they say the album displays: funk, jazz and soul. Throughout the track, the vocal harmonies feel as if they pick up on a distinct reggae influence. The themes in the song are constantly revisited, yet it is not overkill the overall output. The instrumentation on the album is ridiculously tight; dynamics are an extremely important part of this kind of music, and The Nth Power takes this into strong consideration with the framework of not only this track, but the rest of the album. When writing, much like in literature, there is the important "grabbing line" at the very beginning that is supposed to perk the readers interest. "Spirits" is an excellent "grabbing track" for this album, making it easier to step into the rest. Though the vocals may be overwhelming at times, there are minimal risks taken in creating this song. Lack of intense risks makes for an easier listen, and that really helps with this ear pleasing tune.

- Woocci

Space Junk

Artist: Halasan Bazar
Release Date: April 2, 2013
Label: Crash Symbols


Is it summer already? No? Well, it feels as if summer's come early with Halasan Bazar's album Space Junk. Slap on some cans and let the humming organs, vintage guitar tones, and gentle harmonies sweep you off your feet. Halasan Bazar's take on the fuzzed-out west coast garage rock of the 1960's goes beyond a mere imitation of their influences.

The sunny acid-soaked Beatles-esque compositions on Space Junk are, for the most part, pleasant. Tracks like "You and I" wallow in the psychedelic mood that the group is so great at creating. LSD-laced vocals dominate the track for the most part but are accompanied by a circling instrumental. The song is a great example of what Halasan Bazar is going for on Space Junk. The entire album feels nostalgic, as if the band is trying to pull us back into the 1960's where we'll all just hang out for a while.

Lyrically the album is quite a different story. While the instrumentals are relaxed and friendly the lyrics are desperate at times. On "Live Without Love" Mr. Halasan instructs us to "Live without love, die without love." "Stay," other than sounding like a drug-riddled Route 66, is a grasp for a comforting presence, vocally crying "Won't you stay?"

"Stay" seems to be a prelude to "The Light of My Day," arguably the album's strongest song. Starting off quaint, frail, and fragile, the gentle acoustic guitar and hushed vocals quickly gain confidence. Here Halasan Bazar plays with a less psychedelic sound, going for something more at home and earnest. Eventually incorporating other instrumentation (including harmonica, which isn't seen anywhere else on the album) the song slowly builds itself to awesome proportions. At it's height, the vocals scream "Hold me close, say you'll stay. please hold me tight, then you'll stay. Oh, you light my day, keep me blind, lead the way." There's something amazingly uplifting but tragic in the juxtaposition between the desperate vocals and the awe-inspiring instrumental.

There are certainly moments of nostalgic brilliance on Space Junk, (namely "How Did We Get Here in the First Place" and "The Light of My Day"), but there are still a few gripes I have when listening to this album. Mr. Halasan's straining vocals are quite nice, but aren't for everyone and this may be an immediate turn-off for some. Some tracks rely on the same riff or main melody for too long. Without any new material or timbres, this gets quite stale.

Everything considered, Space Junk is an interesting listen. Definitely something I'd 'highly' recommend to certain people. In all seriousness, if you're looking for something to blast in your car on a road trip or just something feel good for this spring/summer pick up Space Junk, you won't regret it.

-Owen Bolas

Theatre By The Sea

Artist: Janek Gwizdala
Release Date: March 26, 2013
Label: Independent


Artist Janek Gwizdala is certainly no newcomer to quality music such as found on Theatre By The Sea. This English bassist (living in the US for over a decade) has been on the international music scene for years, as a sideman or group leader. He has worked with Randy Brecker, Mike Stern, Pat Metheny, Hiram Bullock, Wayne Krantz, Peter Erskine, Airto Moreira, John Mayer and many other professional musicians. Gwizdala's maturity is reflected in the taste and crispness in which he created this album. Beside himself, there were nine musicians who contributed, some appearing on all compositions while others appearing on only a few. This album is chock-full of vigorous unison lines and interplay which holds a cognizance and ardor matched by few other modern jazz groups.

The album starts of with "Erdnase" an exotic Latin song which demonstrates one of the core themes of the album: the repeated use of enticing unison lines accompanied by a tight, interlocking rhythm section. This track gets the album rolling and sets up nicely for the next track, "España" a spacey latin tune with some deep emotion. The saxophone cries and wails, shooting nicely over the rhythm section which lays down a groove which at times feels dejected and others spirited. Straight piano interludes and spacey sax, strings, and voice build in the second half and slowly come back down. All this is done very tastefully, just as the rest of the album is.

"Portugal" is the brightest and poppiest sounding of all the tracks on this album, rising out of the ominous end of "España" like a phoenix from the ashes. Even in the poppier chord progression, a distinct Latin/jazz sound is still retained with evident folk influence. The guitar solo continues over a build of layered vocals and lively comping from the rhythm section, giving way to a smooth jammy feel  in the last minute or so. "Randroid" continues with a funky jazz/hip-hop feel. The rhythm section does a great job on this track of supporting the soloists and keeping the repeated forms fresh with new palettes of various rhythms and influences, as well as building well with good timing in each section.

The longest track of the album, "Once I Knew" is very different from the others, starting with a delicate, ambient guitar intro giving way to a ballad feel. This downtempo setting stays for the rest of the song, at some points dragging on and giving a bit of a wandering feeling. Nonetheless, the rhythm section keeps it interesting and retains their distinctive style of exchange below and with the other members of the group. "Fooling Houdini" holds an interesting ambient fusion feel, which sounds as busy and locomotive as it does stagnant. There are some moments in this song that sound much like Radiohead-esque jazz. The title track "Theatre By The Sea" sounds as if I had synesthesia in a contemporary art museum, what with all the different genres that are touched upon so frequently and in such a short amount of time.

"The Goshman" holds some of the best examples of the use of unison lines and tight, interlocking background provided by the rhythm section. This track stands out the most when it comes to improvisation, for both comping and soloing. This inexorable funk/jazz song really gets your body moving all the way through to the end, where it just kinda falls off a cliff. The closing song, "Chicago Opener" pedals onward with a progressive feeling, between the unison lines lead by the drummer and piano that looms overhead like a storm. These clouds brew and accrue with added horn lines and a soaring guitar solo which all build into a wall of sound, giving way to a tight groove that rides out to the end.

This album did not have many flaws, and those that it did have were dwarfed by the sheer professionalism that radiates off of these songs. Gwizdala takes songs that are (for the most part) simple and transforms them by using different combinations of instruments to expand and decline. In addition to the great composition work, this album hosts a myriad of talented musicians, especially the drummer, who played an integral part in the progression of different sections and their levels of energy. Each player holds a distinctive voice on this album, and the way in which they spoke to each other left for some truly provocative conversation. I would have loved to hear more vocals on this album, as they provided a key addition to the first three tracks on the album that I missed in some of the later tracks. Nonetheless, this album is a breathtaking look into the mind of Janek Gwizdala and has caught a firm hold of my attention for him.

-Alex Walsh

7.25.2148

Artist: Makeup and Vanity Set
Release Date: March 28, 2013
Label: Telefuture Records


7.25.2148, the new EP from electronic duo Matthew Pusti and Christian Williams, is a conceptual record that musically describes a journey through space and the future. Filled with warm droning bass and rich synths, this album produces an enjoyable ambient vibe as well as some dance-able inflections. The rise and fall of each song creates a feeling that time has stopped, and each track appears much shorter than it really is. This helps suspend reality as the listener is transported through the final frontier.

As the opening track, “An Infinite Horizon” sets the tone of the album with a reverberated arpeggiation and background noise like that of an engine room. Immediately, one is thrust into a dream-like world of ambience and serenity. A subtle droning bass slowly replaces the background noise, and more atmospheric synthesizers drone in their upper registers. The song builds, and the continued arpeggiation holds a delicate beauty like the stars of space. Many subtleties may slip past as the song slides along without commanding any attention. This being said, in the realm of ambient music, it fits in perfectly.

Following this smooth ambient track is “Quadra IV,” which continues the concept of space exploration, but includes a driving drum beat and more synths with less warmth. The song is reminiscent of the arcade game Space Invaders in the feelings of urgency and danger as one tries to survive the perils of the universe. The track slowly progresses, and would maintain the ambient style were it not for the presence of drums. Like the rest of the album, the song maintains a nice burbling bass throughout.

Arguably the most interesting track on the EP is “Versions.” Opening with avant-garde like pinging sounds, the song grows to a whining synth and thick bass below it that gives a very spooky feeling. The song continues the dominantly ambient vibe of the EP, but with less musical sense and much more atmospheric tone. Rivalling this track is the closer, “Praxis.” Holding extremely different ideas, this track has some dancier house styles while still keeping in the sci-fi theme. The entire song is not as warm as the rest of the album, and uses much higher pitched synths and more rhythmic intricacies as well as melodic lines.

This EP holds true its conceptual ideas, and really depicts futuristic space travel in all of its eerie beauty. The overall warm droning and constantly rumbling bass comes off boring on a surface level, but the detail and progression comes through upon closer inspection. The inclusion of some good ambience and danceable beats provide for enjoyable listen either in the background or with closer inspection.

-Peter Fickenwirth

Deertree

Artist: Deertree
Release Date: April 1, 2013
Label: Independent


Deertree is the folk solo project of Thom Koehly, and his eponymous debut is charming; a quaint folk album that doesn't push too hard in any one direction, but rather sets a gentle and nurturing mood. Deertree tells a bleak but beautiful tale of a lost traveler and ensuing loneliness conveyed through a variety of colorful vocal harmonies and warm guitar tones. With tracks flowing from one to the next perfectly, this album feels less like a collection of individual works but rather chapters of the same novel. Along with similar lyricism, most of these songs share very similar chord progressions. Not to call the songs uninspired, but they all sound quite similar to one another (especially “Walkin I,” “Everything or Nothing,” “Jeneher: Trying to Reach the Sea,” “Barefoot Pilgrim,” and “Walkin II.”) It unifies the songs in a way that can get tiresome with repeated listens, but keeps the album feeling like one larger story..

Droning guitar playing is another factor in the similarity of these songs. Often times progressions move slow and timidly, but nonetheless precisely move from chord to chord. There a good few songs that break the mold; tracks like "The Little Boy Lost" or "Jeneher: Trying To Reach The Sea" have much more interesting features. "The Little Boy Lost," the opener, sounds straight off of Bon Iver’s For Emma, Forever Ago. This isn't to say that it’s not interesting or creative, just that it sounds extremely similar on account of the guitar playing and strong falsetto vocals. Koehly uses a large range of vocal styles on Deertree, ranging from low raspy tones on "The Morning Lights" to the enchanting harmonies in falsetto on "The Little Boy Lost” which, unfortunately, is the only track where Koehly shows off his impressively tender upper range.

Koehly's elusive lyricism brings forward themes of loneliness, loss of purpose, and hopelessness. Fantastic moments appear abruptly throughout this album. For instance, as "Everything or Nothing" bursts into a 3/4 explosion at 4:09, Koehly sings "everything was still nothing." Coming from the previous sections of the song, this is quite impactful. Another example is "The Morning Lights" where 3 or 4 part harmonies come in belting "I'm not dying! I'm not dying! The lazy day is over. I can." For all the moments where there are meaningful lyrics, there are many moments where his singing can't be understood or is just inaudible. It's either his singing or the mixing that gets in the way of hearing his lyrics, which are vital for this album's enjoyment.

The instrumentation and aesthetic, unfortunately, don't hold up amazingly after repeated listens. Koehly depends too much on mood and feeling at times, causing some tracks to get rather bland after a few listens. Instead of finding new things interesting, it becomes easier to find mistakes or unfavorable moments. The chord progression used on many tracks can become tired and the toy piano (which, granted, is used infrequently) loses it's charm after a few listens. That being said, the album is still a good listen but it doesn't hold up well under a magnifying glass.

Deertree is the story of a lost traveler unsure of where he's going or what he's doing. Everybody questions themselves during their life as to what they're doing or where they want to be. At some point in their lives, everybody misses their family, can get homesick, or gets lost altogether. Deertree relates to the scary pictures of uncertainty drawn on life's canvas. This album is going to go over well with a lot of people, I'm sure; Koehly's voice is beautiful, and his guitar playing is moody as anything. If you've ever liked anything in the new era folk-pop genre (Arcade Fire, Bon Iver, Sufjan Stevens) I recommend this album. If you don't, I wouldn't stay away but don't expect anything that'll crack your top 10 for the year.

-Owen Bolas