Formerly know as Daryl Donald, this name change to Brelstaff signifies
little in the way of musical progression. Its another collection of mini
Jazz Hop instrumentals exploring the craft with a familiar Entroducing...
akin charm. These short, mostly two minute tracks swiftly conjure an
atmosphere and reside there for a brief stay, fleshed out with some
variations. The selections of drum patterns and samples mix sweetly into
easy indulgences. With enough ambiguity and noises between the obvious
pairings, the tracks keep delivering a fresh depth on each listen.
Together, the tracks are all laid back, summery and warm. The Jazz
flavor keeps it musical and grounded, not running away with the uplift
but holding back an air of spirituality. The mood is an introspective
one, perfect for both background music and giving it your attention.
The short compositions do feel somewhat demo like. Fade ins and outs
give ques to where ideas start and end. Stitched on mini beat creations
and the like make it into the twenty minute run time but in all fairness
there is no filler. No track out runs its purpose, once seeing through
its variety it ends. A voice in the form of rhyme or reason, rapping or
singing may serve it well as the voices calling John Coltrane's on the
track of the same name seem to ramp up the mystique over a mysterious
pondering bass line. Its a dusty track with a lot of charm. That note
may just signify what's missing, the foundations are in place but as a
collection of beats they feel in need of something to elevate it upwards
to the next level.
Rating: 6/10