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

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

Ŝanĝi

Artist: Foussion
Release Date: March 10, 2013
Label: Independent

Foussion's sophomore effort on bandcamp, Ŝanĝi, is an eclectic eight track album that is sprawling in its themes. This four piece fusion band from Madrid brings a lot to the table; with all instrumental songs showcasing drum, bass, piano, guitar, and saxophone. One can hear the obvious Latin and Spanish influences on this album over a fusion and jam base. This gives it a sound similar to that of Carlos Santana and other prominent Latin-rock musicians of the late 20th century.

What is notable about this work is the group's ever present sense of concurrence and interconnection, and how the band accomplishes this while its individual members flourish in flashes of creativity. The drummer really shines on the opening track, "Umami," which leads the group through abrasive,  jarring (yet adamant) themes as well as softer, more delicate ones. This is an occurrence which pops up again throughout the album. The second track, "Outro," lasts only about a minute, but uses an interesting effects-laid palette of textures. The guitarist accomplishes a compelling comping effect through the sublime use of delay as dreamy piano and saxophone fade in front and behind. "Stuck In The River" shows a bit more of Ŝanĝi's latin and rock influence. Here and in other moments, the group shows their skill in setting out-of-the-ordinary grooves, but could do much better in building things up or bringing them back down from theme to theme. Perhaps they could accomplish this by doing more with fine tuning and listening in to one another for specific nuances.

"In-Decision" is a beautiful solo acoustic song that is delicately busy. The guitarist takes folk and flamenco influence to a pristine place in under a minute. "Journey" opens by continuing this approach with each member contributing to a delicate feel in a synchronicity that is both disjointed and congenial. It quickly explodes into a theme that sounds almost like a ballad, but the group persists in building and jamming through it. When it comes to exploring different themes together yet still holding a great sense of individuality and improvisation among the specific members, this is the album’s best example. All this while tastefully building and bringing things down. From soft fusion rock, to a walking bass groove, and back to soft piano solo, it seems as if this band's quietest moments are the ones with the highest energy and that is something that is extremely hard for even the most professional groups to accomplish.

"Intro" fades in creepily with organ, drum, and bass. This short track has the band exploring a new and very dark realm that is found only again in "Manhattan". It almost sounds as if "Outro" were injected with a much more sinister element. The album's single, "Sometimes," opens delicately which, after listening up to this point, seems to be this pianist's forte. It moves slowly at first in the sax solo, but then the group fluidly supports what the saxophone has to say. The musicians do a great job in the second half; all contributing to the sound equally and sound as if they are on the same page completely. The closing track, "Manhattan," holds an ominous and sinister sound like in "Outro," but does so with an enormous amount of energy. The first half starts with Latin and Fusion overtones and quickly starts delving into a trance-like second half laden with effects.

This album is worth a listen because of all the varying musical genres it visits. There is something for any fan of rock, jazz, latin, experimental, or jam music on this album. What is great about it is the crispness in which the band accomplishes this fusion. Many of the album's songs are only a few minutes long but, touch upon many different genres in that time. My only misgivings of this album were of moments where the group seemed to hold back as if waiting for something to happen. In some of the longer songs, there were themes that were not necessarily dragged out for too long, but definitely could have used some more variety and individual contribution from the members (notably the keyboard player). Other than that, this album goes to so many different places that it deserves every single minute of its listening time and is available on Bandcamp or the band's website for 5 Euros.

-Alex Walsh

Shannon Graham and the Story Tellers

Artist: Shannon Graham and the Story Tellers
Release Date: April 16, 2013
Label: Canterbury Music Company


Coming from the mind of composer, violist, vocalist, saxist, Shannon Graham, this album attempts to create Graham's idea of "narrative composition," and succeeds incredibly. The album combines so many different styles of music that it is nearly impossible to define it any other way, and her ability to tell a story through her compositions only helps to justify the name. Graham, primarily a jazz saxophonist, draws heavily from the styles of jazz. The strange harmonies, scales, and melodies provide an uneasy feeling during times of chaos and dissonance, as well as bliss in its smooth calming lines. Equipped with 9 other players, the album employs sax, viola, violin, trumpet, trombone, vocals, and a jazz rhythm section. The album is very classic as well, which is amplified by the use of string instruments. The use of unison creates an interesting effect in timbre that ordinarily could not be achieved by solo instruments. Instead they gain a synthesized, uncanny quality.

"Samsara", the opening track, sets the tone of the entire work by opening with an ominous unison line from trombone and piano over sustained strings, that eventually descends into chaos, resolving to a groove established by the rhythm section that ties everything together. The song plays back and forth between dark and light tones. When the beginning theme returns, the strings are replaced by an ethereal chorus, which then leads into a more relaxed section. Like most of the songs on the album the main theme is returned to over and over again, but surprisingly does not feel annoying or repetitive.

"We've Come to Take You Home" and "The Truth Seeker" are arguably the best tracks on the album for their excellent employment of imagery and interesting styles. "We've Come to Take You Home" employs dissonance throughout, mimicking a bad dream that you try desperately to wake up from but despite your efforts you can't seem to manage it leaving you trapped in this dark world. The song builds to a fast paced drive from the piano and drums, and features trombone throughout. Towards the end, a unison chorus enters completing the terrifying feeling of this chaotic tune that continues to build and build until the very end where there is sudden silence; you've woken from the nightmare.

"The Truth Seeker" compares in genius with "We've Come to Take You Home" but is hardly similar. The song begins with strings and spoken word. The way that the entire song plays around the beautiful speaking voice, having very little melody while it is in use,  the voice becomes a melody of its own. Once again a dissonant chaos is found throughout but eventually morphs into a much happier swing-like tune featuring Graham as a singer. The spoken word is an inspiring tale about the creation of earth, and the singing plays off of this, explaining how the world is paradise. The listener can't help but feeling happy while listening.

Each song reflects the feelings and emotions that everyone feels throughout life; like a chaotic morning where you scramble around without being able to figure out whats really going on, until finally you settle into a groove, but the craziness is still there. It also highlights relaxed moments as if one is finally sitting resting after the rush and bustle of the previous chaos. Shorter tracks act as interludes of a single theme that provide a good transition between the beefier songs.

Overall this exquisite album has to be one of the best listens of 2013. The emotion and beauty of this album cannot be placed into words and still do it justice. The acute musicianship cannot even be described. My suggestion is to sit in a dark room lying on a bed concentrating only on the music. The experience is exhilarating. This work is absolutely an amazing expression of life and is by far one of the best albums of the year, and should confidently remain so.

-Peter Fickenwirth

Arbitrarij

Artist: Vsemogočni Mlin
Release Date: March 18, 2013
Label: ZARŠ


Exploring the realm of Fusion Jazz, the Slovenian group Vsemogočni Mlin combines elements of Jazz and Rock to create this exquisite debut album, Arbitrarij. Each genre is well blended featuring slightly distorted guitar and unison keyboard-guitar melodies with definite rock influences alongside jazzy chord progressions and solos. Even the percussion follows a nice combination of simpler rock beats and intricate jazz drumming that becomes increasingly complex as the album progresses.

"Goba", the opening song, has the feel of a jazz combo with a main melodic theme carried by both the piano and guitar, that morphs and grows into solos on both instruments. The piano and guitar interplay excellently providing both background and contributing their own soloistic ideas that are traded back and forth, eventually coming together and returning to the main melody to finish out the track. Almost every song on the album follows this same format, but keeps the listener on their toes as each song travels from beginning to end. Possibly the most entertaining part of this album, however, is the excellent bass lines and features. The intricacies can easily go unnoticed when not on display, but are showcased in both "Deževje" and "Silo" with the excellent use of harmonics that mingle with the guitar and a bass solo. This element definitely makes these two of the best tracks on the album.

The record provides some contrast in energy and style, but mostly passes between high energy rock-like tunes, and smoothed out relaxed tracks. The band creates a unique sound of excellent jazz with rock and roll overtones which comes together quite unlike any other group. Arbitrarij comes off as a very promising debut and a good listen for any type of jazz enthusiast.

All their music is downloadable on Bandcamp for name your price.

-Peter Fickenwirth