Reviewed: 2018-03-23
Genre: Jazz
FCCs: none
Review: GoGo Penguin returns with a beautiful blend of elements of jazz and improvised music with clear nods to modern classical, electronica and old school house music. Jazz fits as well as any descriptor but none is entirely adequate for a group that exists in the gaps between those genres.
If You Like: The Bad Plus, Arild Andersen, Yelena Eckemoff
Track Listing (favorites denoted by *):
*1/ Prayer (4:58) – guitar starts> slow jam builds in intensity & volume> quick stop
2/ Raven (7:14) – electric piano/echoplex starts> slow tempo swings into heavy pounding uptempo jam> quick fade
*3/ Bardo (7:14) – piano starts> midtempo riffing builds into beautiful midtempo melody then swings into uptempo jam> melody shift to slow jam & back to uptempo> slow fade
*4/ A Hundred Moons (4:28) – quiet voice-like drone starts> heavy percussion kicks in> midtempo jam with oriental vibe, like water dripping in the rain with thunder threatening> builds in volume & intensity with heavy bass> quick fade
5/ Strid (8:11) – long organ note starts> rocking uptempo jam with heavy bass & drums> quiet drone with bass overlay> quick fade
6/ Transient State (5:59) – drums/cymbals start> slow jam quickly swings uptempo then rides hard> piano solo swings to fast tempo jam> quick stop
*7/ Return To Text (5:23) – piano starts> uptempo jam with bass & piano solos> uptempo jam slows & fades
*8/ Reactor (6:17) – bass starts> uptempo jam> off-kilter piano solo> uptempo jam> crescendo> melody shift to uptempo jam morphs into rocking jam> quick stop
*9/ Window (5:21) – piano starts with midtempo beautiful melody> uptempo jam> melody shift> piano solo> false stop> uptempo jam> quick fade