Turnstile "New Heart Designs" (2023)

 

Today I've stumbled upon a pleasant surprise, a trio of Turnstile songs re-imagined on this latest single. Teaming up with Badbadnotgood, the bands songs get reworked into dreamy mellow alternates. Turns out Yates' clean singing is a supple match for these Psychedelia tinged instrumentals composed of soft pianos and woodwinds drowning in reverberating ambiences. His original takes having an inspired, ample chemistry.

It feels like a happy accident, a curious collision that's led to reworking three tracks from Glow On in a complete u-turn. Mystery gets an airy treatment, a relaxing stroll through an ethereal garden that some how mellows out the stained shouts. Bringing in soft percussion, Alien Love Call turns Lounge in demeanor, squeezing in some free flowing Jazz improv jams between the main vocal sections. Underwater Boi looses me a little as things turn tripy and exotic. Still decent but dang the first two cuts are magic!

Rating: 3/10

Ryo Fukui "Scenery" (1976)

Always one to be drawn in by the calming allure of Jazzy sophistication and lounge atmosphere, sadly I did not find a depth here beyond its smooth surfaces. Scenery is self taught Jazz pianist Ryo Fukui's debut, accompanied by ponderous bass guitar and drums, the trio only became appreciated by enthusiasts outside Japan years later.

 

The pleasantries of its soft, observational presence has a few strides of gusto, riling up energy with its thematic seasonal shifts. This is where percussionist Yoshinori Fukui shines, the intricate rolls and shuffles bustle with excitement. Yet in its dizzying sprints, Ryo Fukui comes off stiff and constrained as a soloist. His pacey piano strikes rotating notes with a mechanical lack of imagination for a listener to read between the lines. These particular leads played more like Heavy Metal guitar solos than Jazz.

In its less enthused drives the music melds into a comfortable rhythm, the slowest of tunes seeming to posses the most charm as the space between notes croons with smokey allure. Sadly though, I was looking for a spark I could not find. I've always been a sucker for Jazz, yet it seems only the most appraised of the genres works resonate deeply. I found myself with little to take away, despite enjoying my stay.

 

Rating: 5/10

Malcolm Horne "Frost Walker" (2022)

 

Released Christmas day, with seasonal, wintery hints in theming and bowing out on a familiar festive melody, Malcolm Horne gifts us a mini record for the holidays. However Frost Walker's synergy doesn't house that timely cheer. These are rather typical sounds for him. Leaning into the soft and gentle, breezy side of mellow Jazz Hop beats, the instrumentation croons in its gorgeous setting. Roomy pianos, glistening bells, humble organs keys and echos of drifting acoustic guitars shimmer above warm bass resonance. The spacious groove of sparse bass kicks and snare clicks guides tempo, anchoring otherwise lofty music that could almost drift away without it.

Frost Walker is one for the vibes, a mood setter. Its occasional voicing of soothing saxophone seeming like an ethereal voice in the winds, aching to roar yet subdued on this instrumental voyage. Its pleasantries are welcome company, a warm fuzzy set of songs with the easiest of pacing. As often happens with seasonal suggestions in music, the tone seems flipped to my mind. I hear cool summers days and relaxation. Not as wintery as intended for me but a welcome set of songs to mellow out with.

Rating: 5/10

Malcolm Horne "Mending" (2022)

 

Shedding the antiquities of Jazz Hop's established union of styles, this third stroke rids itself of percussive burdens. No longer hinged on crunking snare kick grooves and subtle boom bap rhythms, Mending arrives at the source of inspiration. An orchestra of instruments croon. Luscious, resonate and gently woven they harmonize at a place of healing. Soft airy reverbs and atmosphere indulge as soothing calm sweeps over every track. Minimal, spacious percussive lines subtly hold tempo, an evolution felt between Infinity & Volume II. With Mending, a conclusion of that trajectory is met. Malcolm accomplishes inspired moods free from shackles of the genres tropes.

The delicacy of performance is a delight. We are spoiled to baselines hinged on texture and feel, over power and force. Many instruments follow suit, perusing, swaying with persuasion. Capturing the essence, a symphony of minimalist parts amassing a serine outcome. Mending's warm calm is evening sunlight, the yawning death of a beautiful day. Cool airs breeze by, so welcoming in its gentle demeanor. This outing is an inspired refinement on the instrumental magic heard twice before.

Nothing is perfect and for all the praises, Mending does serve its conventions to sooth and relax with formulas. On inspection, the looped nature of compositions emerged, highlighted by instrumental drop ins and outs, a key song structure utilized. Lead instruments are often absent, leaving space in the music for a voice to shine through.

The moments where a guitar solo steps up are grooving, variation aids its purpose. Like before though, they cropped up before fade outs. Grander directions would be very welcome but perhaps not as suited as one might imagine. Lastly, the Synthwave and 80s Synthpop influences are amiss. Constellations treats us to this charm again but its brief stay perhaps signals the style no longer has a place. Quite a shame as I enjoyed this take greatly yet its absence makes sense given what Mending is, a cohesive record of introspective healing. This is definitely my favorite of the three.

Rating: 8/10

Spellling "The Turning Wheel" (2021)

 

In search of new sounds and experiences, I've found a record strung out with familiarity yet blindingly powerful in its execution of inspiration. It works for me, something I could swiftly get into and mull over these last few weeks. Chrystia Cabral, the brains behind the Spellling name, lends her immaculate voice to a timely orchestration of genre influences adjacent to the world of popular music. She is a powerhouse of breathy expression, rooted in classic soulful stylings. Her range is wide, diving with a masculine low on Magic Act and sailing to a childish, playful resonance on Little Deer. With each of these arrangements offering up a different temperament, she is the beacon that shines and guides us through these twelve offerings as they grow increasingly atmospheric, occasionally peering into a brittle darkness.

I could easily rattle off lists at this point. With a backbone of warm baselines, Organs, Pianos, String, Horns and strong vocal harmonization parade upfront in a variety of compositions that usher in many vibes. Pop music of the 60s, Soul, R&B, a little Jazz, Chamber Pop and Lounge too. There are subtle electronic influences worming there way in too. Always sounds more like an 80s Synth-pop ballad and after the slow brewing Awaken, aligned strongly with Classical ideas, the album starts to open up. Emperor With An Egg accrues various waveform instruments alongside its Classical instrumentation and the following Boys At School at school hints at Synthwave vibes which blossoms on Queen Of Wands, a track akin to Chelsea Wolfe's Pain Is Beauty. Its use of wobbly, eerie, spooky Horror synths a sensibility here that resurfaces, seemingly at odds with the mood of Sweet Talk. Little moments like this are littered throughout, sounds that seem out of context but work wonderfully.

I could go on but essentially we have bright and clear instrumentation arranged wonderfully with beautiful aesthetics and expressive instrumentation that despite showing its influences, feels entirely distinct as the web of influences weave together. The record sets out feeling more Soul and Baroque pop oriented but swells of instrumentation gives it a Progressive edge that blossoms as the songs continuously explore, bringing in more instruments, sounds and aesthetics as it goes on. Its melodies too often feel interchanged between these style, ushering in just the strangest sense of ideas in action. One can almost see the blueprint yet its outcome feels completely inspired and magical, without any design.

Rating: 8/10

Malcom Horne "Infinity Volume II" (2021)

 

 Smooth, sweet and soulful, this secondary installment of Infinity pairs the modern Low-Fi influenced Jazz Hop aesthetic with a classy voice through exuberant musicianship. Malcolm litters these dreamy beats with gushes of emotional expression, always emerging through subtly and captivating fondly as a voice. Each of its twenty seven cuts are rooted in the timely pairing of percussive grooves and jazzy persuasion, foundational to its flushes of warm sunny color that ooze from guitars, synths and the like, giving many of the loops a real sense of unique identity.

Its other edge comes from its backbone of looped beats. Born less of sampling and more of instrumental arrangement, its texture and aesthetic is a consistent dazzle of breezy easiness and soothing reverbs, taking us to an easy space to escape all worries and leave ones mind at ease. With this, more love and care can be heard as little accents and notations arise from multiple instruments to compliment its main direction. M.A.D. is a keen example, its fluster of melody jumps between instruments with the tang of a guitar lick nestled between, the resonance is simply lush.

At a whopping ninety one minutes, Volume II excels at finding its target audience. Where Volume I fumbled in its inconsistencies, II focuses very much on the chilled out and lounge alike styling of its sound, channeling the music into a very streamer friendly lane. As a lone record it one could yearn for a little more progression or evolution to take off for new heights, especially when a swooning guitar solo drops in. Of course restraint is placed with these songs being fitted for smiley backgrounds.

Despite that, Volume II is actually rather engrossing as a lone experience. When paired with an activity, focus arises as the meditative quality of its easy flow and steady pace locks one into a mental groove. My only negative take aways are some of the sudden cut offs, Lemonade a criminal culprit of sapping away the buzz just as that charming lead guitar was wooing away. I'm also left missing a little of the punchier Synth tones heard on the first record. Otherwise its a fine collection of lush songs with a strong human expression some of these other Jazz Hop beats miss out on.

Rating 7/10