Published by James November 2nd, 2006
in Album, Review and 2006.
Afrobeat is the new hotness what with re-releases of Thomas Mapfumo, a renewed focus on the work of Fela Kuti, and a blizzard of releases in the past year by neo-Afrobeat groups like Akoya and Antibalas Afrobeat Orchestra. Now, it might be easy to lump Nomo into this wave but there is something more going on. New Tones certainly holds a sheen of Afrobeat but that glimmer quickly disappears when you get deeper into the album and pay closer attention to the arrangements. Percussive guitar lines, thumb pianos, and syncopated cowbell does not make an album Afrobeat and Nomo is, by all rights, more a Jazz act than anything and one that pulls from a wide and diverse musical palette.
Soul, Funk, R&B, Breaks, and Afrobeat are all equally represented but all are interpreted through the lens of Jazz with a strong focus on modality, soloing, and interplay between voices during bridges and choruses. The weakly titled “New Song” is representative with the faint noir leanings of the guitar work channeling the sensibilities of James Hardway as saxophone and trumpet solos work to lay the melodic structure for the bridges leading into further solos or choruses. “If You Want” maintains the same level of soloing with Piccolo and Piedra providing a percussive backdrop ala Tony Allen. Closing the album is the sweetest track, “Sarvodaya”, with its cascading organ line that buoys a saxophone solo that flutters gently, howls as it plummets and screams as it soars all the while the arrangement maintains a quiet and meditative sense of peace in those contrasts.
New Tones easily slips onto my Best of 2006 list with its sly way of bending sounds into shapes that are at once provocative and party like. Nomo would make for one hell of a house band if the energy from this recording is any indication of their passion for their music. Grab it. Play it. You won’t have any regrets.
Published by James July 5th, 2006
in Free Tracks, Album, Review and 2006.
Before I start babbling about Caldwell’s latest I just wanted to publicly pat myself on the back as I am listening to the album off my remote server using the most excellent SSHFS, which essentially allows me to mount a remote share locally through a secure tunnel–in plain speak my music at home is availble to me when I’m not. If you are at all interested you can check out my write up here.
Back to the music.
Universal Truth is not a ground breaking album. You are not going to be shaken to your core by chances taken and glimpses of genius in phrasing and composition. However, if you are a House head with a penchant for Disco, like myself, than this album will please. From the Cock-Rock opening “Runaway” to the Cruel Summer-esque “The Real” Caldwell delivers up sticky hooks and infectious beats. Not all the tracks thump along as some slow burners like “The Question” are tossed in to cool things down for a moment.
At the end of the disk is the most sublime track, excellent in nearly all of the singles that have come out but this incarnation is the perfect summer sound. It has just the right combination of Samba shimmy, R&B chorus, and sleepy Bossa shuffle. Of all the tracks Caldwell has written and produced this, by far, is my favorite as it captures his optomistic spirit and knack for shimmering House beats but recasts it into a sweetened beach number where you can almost feel the sand between your toes in the final refrain.
Sample some of his tracks over at music.download.com including three tracks from Universal Truth or just head over to eMusic or Amazon and grab it.
Published by James June 15th, 2006
in Free Tracks, Album, Review and 2006.
DJ Mag calls him a “a right fucking find” and I am inclined to agree. The Fix sets up the bomb and delivers. Flamgirlant calls it as it is when she simple states over at the albums page at eMusic that Moschella is what you’d get “[i]f Prince and Stevie Wonder had a love child,” but I would say that he was conceived with Lenny Kravitz sitting in on the session back when he was still fresh and relevant. It is short, sharp, fun, funky, and delivered with a genuine passion for the music.
The Fix opens up with a sweetened little funk number that has Moschella channeling Prince on vocals with Stevie Wonder backing him on keys and will assuredly put a skip in your step and a shake in your sway. The beauty is not that he is aping these artists, which he is not, it is that he is so much in tune with the feeling and tradition of that brand of stripped down, tightly crafted, R&B that is rubbed down with a spicy jerk of Funk. Moschella like to surprise you by pulling in references out of thin air. With the foot stomping back beat of “Strong Man”, sounding like an outtake of “When The Levee Breaks,” he brings a tight little burner that will bring a smile to even the most dour face.
While the album, for the most part, is upbeat and feel-good Moschelle does take a moment here and there to throttle the energy and slow things down for a more traditional number. “If You Believe (You Will Be Strong)” dials it back, offering a simple and raspy electric piano line back by simple rhythm section while he offers up words of support, “If you believe in yourself, no one else will steer you wrong.” It is earnest if not a little trite but it fits with overall mood of the album and his optimism is infectious enough that you might find yourself singing along after a couple of bars.
The Fix is on my Best of 2006 list just for it refreshing stew of soul and funk. Moschelle has proven himself to be a talented multi-instrumentalist and someone worth waiting for their next album to drop. Very highly recommended. You can grab the album over at eMusic or Amazon or if you want scope out the free track, “Moved On,” over at his website or over at The Mark Out , which a couple of more posted as well.
Published by James May 22nd, 2006
in Singles, Review and 2005.
“Restless” is a quiet number playing through hushed beats of static and languid vibe pad that softly fills the background. It closely approximates a slow R&B burner but in a more abstract way as if it were being performed in a world of Philip K. Dick’s imagining. It is the perfect fit for a Monday morning when your head is full of cotton and time is suspended as it is the perfect blend of movement and unobtrusiveness.
Judging by this track and a quick listen to the others over at MySpace this will be a release added to my shopping list. You can grab “Restless” over at XLR8R or stream the album over at their label, Statler & Waldorf.
