This is really an intriguing instrumental outfit. Each disc I’ve heard from them is considerably different. This particular album has a lot of chamber music and symphonic sound in its mix, alongside jazz and other sounds. It’s arguably their most accessible disc I’ve heard.
This review is available in book format (hardcover and paperback) in Music Street Journal: 2012 Volume 4 at lulu.com/strangesound.
Track by Track Review
The Nth Wave
Mixing jazz, chamber music and world music, there is an extremely prominent percussive sound to this and it’s a great tune that works really well.
The Whirling Magnificent
World music percussion starts off here and then chamber music sounds are heard. There are definitely a lot of symphonic sounds in this one. It gets some heavy and noisy distorted guitar added to the mix later.
Feel-good Hit of the Season
Here we have a track that’s far more mellow and world music like, with definite chamber music sounds in the mix.
Ticks & Asps
I love the bass work on this tune, another that’s quite percussion oriented and much like world music meets chamber music. It turns towards noisier sounds as it continues.
Pentephilia
The rhythmic groove on this one is great and it’s got some world music meets chamber sounds along with some jazz.
Fields of Intention
While the central mix isn’t dramatically changed, this is a cool tune that works really well. It stays towards the mellow side, but it’s more complex in a lot of ways.
March of the Jury
This tune has the same chamber music style as is present on the rest of the disc. While the overall concept isn’t really changed, it’s certainly not the same as any of the other songs.