Late to the party but happy to have finally arrived, my years spent following Adam Neely's explainer videos and showcasing of prodigy percussionist bandmate Shawn Crowder seem unforgivable in the wake of such a delightfully warm and musically riveting record. Perhaps its this latest chapter of bright, cheery Jazz Fusion that lured me in. Armed with an arsenal of well educated professional musicians, Against The Hall Of Night sails through vibrant excellence, a gorgeous aesthetic production, dazzling one with a snug fit of crisp instruments expressing emotions boldly.
Earmarked by intravenous illuminations from lead solos, song directions house these expressive delights through intriguing foundations. Experimenting with odd grooves, time signatures and an adventurous opposition to popular convention, song structures bustle from their power house rhythm section, gushing forth with stellar musical ideas. Crowder's crisp and clean drumming a continuous pleasure, as no beat ever seems to rest on its laurels, always finding a angle from which to spice up the pizzazz.
On the journey of its nine chapters, familiar themes of bold, cheesy 80s gameshow Jazz "done right" frequently emerge, alongside other motifs within a broader Jazz Fusion landscape. Always seeking to expand horizons, much of the music has room for modern Electronic key tones, delving on occasion into the Synthwave style, retro Chiptune 8bit melody and in another realm of the spectrum, crunches of Metal groove. All classy and well executed, every idea feels fully fleshed out, expressive, matured, yet most of all, emotionally entertaining, gratifying and endearing.
To layer on at least some critique in the wake of my applause, the record does feel somewhat front loaded. Its opening half feels a grade above what proceeds but that could be personal preference. The latter songs seem to lean more into the Jazz side of the project. Lead instruments dance out melodies with less personal resonance. Even so, I like these numbers very much. What a cracking record, Bravo!
Rating: 8/10