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| Track List: 1. Bode 2. Optimism 3. The Star of a Story 4. Human Nature (Trio Extension) 5. Wildflower 6. Mmmhmm 7. Little Pocket Size Demons 8. Lude 9. Accelerando 10. Actions Speak 11. The Village of the Virgins Running time: 59 minutes Released: 2012 |
Random contemporary jazz purchase #1 (at least as far as the library progress goes). There was nothing random about 301, and I can only assume that it was my love of Esbjörn Svensson Trio that led me to buy this on a whim, with the aim of expanding my modern piano-jazz range. LastFM has only 3 scrobbles for it though, so I guess I paid no attention. Time to see if there is an undiscovered gem here.
I am not blown away by the opening. Bode is a short track and it seems quiet for a short first track. It builds a bit, but there is no body; over before it really begins. Optimism, eh? Not much of that round here. Leaving the (not so) smart alec response aside the second track starts more promisingly but seems to cave in and stall. The levels seem off to me; the main dude is the pianist, right? The piano seems subservient to the drums and bass, recorded lower, making it less distinct. When it comes through, it is pretty darn good, but too much of the time it is hidden or partially obscured. 2/3rds of the way through it sprouts some life, driven by the bass but with strong support from the keys. The melodies are not spectacular but the playing gains an energy and immediacy that has me really appreciating the track. OK, I think - I might yet regret not having listened sooner.
It is Monday night. I have still not finished the beer I opened an hour and a half ago for the best hour of British TV of the week (Uni Challenge and Only Connect back to back, of course!). Serious consideration from today on about whether I need to find a new job. Only I cannot face doing that really, so I look to bury myself in jazz instead. Just as I think The Star of a Story is making that easy, the piece changes on me and becomes a lot more of a challenging listen. Not atonal, not discordant, not unpleasant... just challenging. It works out, though I prefer Human Nature immediately. More tuneful, more melodic, more Svensson like - this feels like what I was looking for when I made the purchase. Modern jazz; piano front and centre, accompaniment to show it off, rounded sound, contemporary attitude. Unfortunately the musical lilt that was there in the early minutes of the track is lost for a bit in the middle, but the melody - which to me sounds like it has a story to tell - returns again. Then leaves almost immediately, then springs anew - much changed - for the end. I am not keen on the interruptions, but that has more to do with really liking the melodic sections.
We hit a couple of shorter tracks which slide by quickly and easily. nice enough but not arresting and demanding of attention in the way something like Goldwrap is. Mmmhmm does seem to fit a lot into 4 minutes 30, but I cannot imagine driving along, window down, volume up on a blissful summers day to this. The next track introduces some urgency. Unfortunately it does not couple it with great melody (that is Goldwrap's essence, for me) but it it a nice upping of the pace.
Whilst doing this listen I have managed to find a reasonably priced import of Lifeboat, a card game that I am excited to try, thanks to someone on the Shut Up & Sit Down forums who pointed out a US-based eBay seller with reasonable shipping costs. If you're into games and not watching SU&SD, shame on you. Meanwhile the track continues to be more driven than the rest so far. It mixes some good keys with some duller bits and as a whole song I am not convinced.
Somewhere I missed the transition into Lude. This feels like a less modern track somehow. I might be hearing things but the piano makes me think of Monk in places, harking backwards, the rhythm of bass and drums left to keep us in modernity. It grows beyond that, before snapping back to sparseness. I like it. The title track, which follows, immediately feels more of the now (or the 2 years ago, or whatever). Spiky sounds interject and the track does not settle. There is a good piece there waiting to bust out but it seems to be kept constrained, caged and pent up for the 3 minute duration. Tension spills into Actions Speak - a frenetic key-line and pacy tempo, which lull then return over the course of the song the obvious sign. Some of the sections where they lull feel disjointed though, leaving me disappointed.
Now I reach the closer. This does start with a lighter touch, almost a "soundtrack" emptiness to the piece; you could imagine it accompanying some schmaltzy US TV show - at least until the tone changes around the 2 minute mark. At this point the tune picks up. There is still a sentimentality to it that has not been present for any other track on the album but there is more musical interest too. The track is properly piano-led which predisposes me to like it, and it seems to fly by despite being 5 minutes long.
I would not say I have found a gem of an album here but there are definitely some very worthwhile tracks on Accelerando and I am happy to have finally given myself a chance to listen to them.
I am not blown away by the opening. Bode is a short track and it seems quiet for a short first track. It builds a bit, but there is no body; over before it really begins. Optimism, eh? Not much of that round here. Leaving the (not so) smart alec response aside the second track starts more promisingly but seems to cave in and stall. The levels seem off to me; the main dude is the pianist, right? The piano seems subservient to the drums and bass, recorded lower, making it less distinct. When it comes through, it is pretty darn good, but too much of the time it is hidden or partially obscured. 2/3rds of the way through it sprouts some life, driven by the bass but with strong support from the keys. The melodies are not spectacular but the playing gains an energy and immediacy that has me really appreciating the track. OK, I think - I might yet regret not having listened sooner.
It is Monday night. I have still not finished the beer I opened an hour and a half ago for the best hour of British TV of the week (Uni Challenge and Only Connect back to back, of course!). Serious consideration from today on about whether I need to find a new job. Only I cannot face doing that really, so I look to bury myself in jazz instead. Just as I think The Star of a Story is making that easy, the piece changes on me and becomes a lot more of a challenging listen. Not atonal, not discordant, not unpleasant... just challenging. It works out, though I prefer Human Nature immediately. More tuneful, more melodic, more Svensson like - this feels like what I was looking for when I made the purchase. Modern jazz; piano front and centre, accompaniment to show it off, rounded sound, contemporary attitude. Unfortunately the musical lilt that was there in the early minutes of the track is lost for a bit in the middle, but the melody - which to me sounds like it has a story to tell - returns again. Then leaves almost immediately, then springs anew - much changed - for the end. I am not keen on the interruptions, but that has more to do with really liking the melodic sections.
We hit a couple of shorter tracks which slide by quickly and easily. nice enough but not arresting and demanding of attention in the way something like Goldwrap is. Mmmhmm does seem to fit a lot into 4 minutes 30, but I cannot imagine driving along, window down, volume up on a blissful summers day to this. The next track introduces some urgency. Unfortunately it does not couple it with great melody (that is Goldwrap's essence, for me) but it it a nice upping of the pace.
Whilst doing this listen I have managed to find a reasonably priced import of Lifeboat, a card game that I am excited to try, thanks to someone on the Shut Up & Sit Down forums who pointed out a US-based eBay seller with reasonable shipping costs. If you're into games and not watching SU&SD, shame on you. Meanwhile the track continues to be more driven than the rest so far. It mixes some good keys with some duller bits and as a whole song I am not convinced.
Somewhere I missed the transition into Lude. This feels like a less modern track somehow. I might be hearing things but the piano makes me think of Monk in places, harking backwards, the rhythm of bass and drums left to keep us in modernity. It grows beyond that, before snapping back to sparseness. I like it. The title track, which follows, immediately feels more of the now (or the 2 years ago, or whatever). Spiky sounds interject and the track does not settle. There is a good piece there waiting to bust out but it seems to be kept constrained, caged and pent up for the 3 minute duration. Tension spills into Actions Speak - a frenetic key-line and pacy tempo, which lull then return over the course of the song the obvious sign. Some of the sections where they lull feel disjointed though, leaving me disappointed.
Now I reach the closer. This does start with a lighter touch, almost a "soundtrack" emptiness to the piece; you could imagine it accompanying some schmaltzy US TV show - at least until the tone changes around the 2 minute mark. At this point the tune picks up. There is still a sentimentality to it that has not been present for any other track on the album but there is more musical interest too. The track is properly piano-led which predisposes me to like it, and it seems to fly by despite being 5 minutes long.
I would not say I have found a gem of an album here but there are definitely some very worthwhile tracks on Accelerando and I am happy to have finally given myself a chance to listen to them.
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