Review Summary: Progressive Jazztronica project by Brad Mehldau and Mark Guilliana
For those who don't know Brad Mehldau, this album may not be a surprise, but for those you know the work of Mr. Mehldau, this album comes as a big and wonderfull surprise. It's an album filled with electronic elements, more reminiscent of Mark Guiliana's work, than of Mehldau's, although there's a loose feel to it, and progressive elements all around.
This album has a small concept (small because 90% of the album doesn't have vocals), introduced in the first song Tamming the Dragon, and continued in The Dreamer, and the concept it's of course: Dreams. And what a concept it is, because it allows freedom to explore, something both Brad Mehldau and Mark Guiliana do very well, explore ideas, and improvise over those ideas.
Musically speaking the album is a combination between electronica (especially drum and bass), contemporary jazz and progressive rock (think ELP). This is a duo, although sometimes it sounds like a whole band, with basslines, harmony and soloing provided by Mehldau and the beats and crazy rhythm stuff provided by Guiliana. You can find intense moments like the end of Tamming the Dragon, Hungry Ghost or Just Call Me Nige, and some more mellow, ambient-like moments like The Dreamer, all with a loose jazz feel to it. In the whole album, they don't go as much for melodies, but go for ideas, some of the songs don't have a real melody, but have an harmonic background so Mehldau can solo over, and develop ideas like Hungry Ghost.
In conclusion:
Positive:
- Musicianship, both the players are amazing at they're instruments;
- There's no other album sounding like this one;
- The tunes are really good, not boring at all;
- There's a dinamic in the album, some intense parts, some soft and mellow;
- Amazing syth basslines;
- Even if you don't like electronica, you can dig this album.
Negative:
- A melody would be nice in some songs;
- Some of the spoken sampled voices are kinda of silly.
