Album reviews
Azita's newest Drag City release How Will You? finds the singer in a markedly stripped down setting, accompanied by her own piano, bass, guitar, and drums. The context serves her well, highlighting her singular voice and songwriting and laying bare the elements of her music without excessive garnish.
It's a timeless equation, the simplicity and warmth of the arrangements inviting the listener in to complete the music's equation with their presence and attention. It wouldn't work if Azita didn't possess the clarity of vision that is apparent in her songs. It would ring hollow and perhaps feel lacking in flesh. None of these concerns are present on How Will You?
Lyrically Azita is particularly hard to pin down. She obviously takes great care in the sound of the words and how they fall in relation to the melody and harmony of her songs. In terms of content however, they oftentimes resemble Steven Malkmus' Pavement era lyrics, where phrases make "sense" in and of themselves but are sometimes disjointed in the context of a whole song. A dreamy mist pervades the lyrics, a veneer that separates the underlying reality from what we are allowed to see.
Her band consists of John Herndon on drums, Emmett Kelly on guitar(s), Matt Lux on bass, Rian Murphy on percussion/drums, and herself on piano and vocals.
How Will You? is a refreshing affair. A beautifully singular voice paired with thoughtful songwriting, and a diverse program of songs that differ in energy but are united in sound and purpose.
I chose to pair it with a bagged tea from Long Life teas, an organic blend of Echinacea and Goldenseal. It also includes some mint leaves and eleuthero root. The mint was the primary flavor that came through, although there was also an earthy almost hay like undertone that pervaded the whole cup. I'm hoping it might help with my allergies which are in full bloom right now. I found it went well with Azita's album, although something with a bit of caffeine might have paired better.
For your listening pleasure, posted with the express written permission of Drag City Records:
Harris Eisenstadt has carved an interesting niche for himself compositionally, focusing on interesting material delivered through unique instrumentation. On his new Cleanfeed release Guewel we are treated to a particularly fascinating program of Senegalese Mbalax music. The band interpreting the music made up of Eisenstadt on drums, Josh Sinton on baritone sax, Mark Taylor on french horn, Nate Wooley on trumpet, and Taylor Ho Bynum on cornet and flugelhorn. It's a conceptual followup to his 2003 release Jalolu that featured similar instrumentation and a focus on the music of Africa.
The result of the non-traditional instrumentation is that certain aspects of the Mbalax tunes are highlighted in ways that they wouldn't be in their original forms. Certain elements, melodic or harmonic, are emphasized rather than blended, or at the very least blended in a strikingly different manner.
Add in a healthy dose of improvisation to the mix, no surprise given the credentials and focuses of the musicians involved, and we get a rather stunning program of music.
I'm familiar with less than half of the 5 tracks' original versions, although I will certainly seek out the source material now to compare. It is certainly rich in melodic and rhythmic inspiration, and Eisenstadt is a worthy interpreter having spent time in Senegal studying the music. Some of the melodies played are downright catchy.
While it's sometimes difficult to parse the transitions between the arranged and improvised sections, often occurring somewhat abruptly, they are positioned in such a way that the changes are always refreshing. Eisenstadt has an impeccable sense of time both on the drums and in laying out the overall structures of the songs, and the musicians on the record execute it all with a relaxed ease. After repeated listens I also must say that it is a truly fun album.
The instrumentation creates a lot of space for the melodies and improvisation to breath. A great record and concept, and certainly amongst my top records of 2008, a list I still haven't managed to compile.
Support musicians, independent record labels and local music stores and see if you can find it in a local shop.
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