Review Summary: free jazz
The latest EP from Chicago avant-jazz group Irreversible Entanglements really couldn’t have come at a more opportune time. Always wallowing in the thematic shadows of government oppression and class rebellion, their spoken-word ferocity packs even more bite than usual given the fact that many issues, which many members of our country have been able to ignore until now, have been flooded by spotlights in the wake of our current pandemic. It’s lucky for the band, but also for listeners attuned to their politically-charged frustrations that could use a cathartic release of anger while cooped up endlessly in their apartments.
Sonically the band mirrors their live antics with captivating passion, meshing groaning, playful horns and a never-ending array of mixed percussion with Camae Ayewa’s vibrant poetry. Her words—sometimes accusatory, sometimes commanding, but always conveying a sense of grace—seem almost improvised in their intensity, yet it’s hard to believe she possibly could pull these phrases out of thin air. It’s a lively, exciting event of an EP, constantly shifting through different passages and making the most of its avant-garde leanings in unexpected ways, while also maintaining more focus than on their debut LP (despite the similar length).
The biggest issue here is the immediacy that permeates the album also damages it on future listens. Part of the fun is not knowing what’s coming, and given how texture-based the music is, it can be hard to find a melody to cling to and pull you back in. And for an EP, it’s incredibly dense. There are only five tracks here, but almost all exceed five minutes--one even nears fifteen. If one tires too quickly of jazzy ear candy, it’s far more likely to try your patience than offer a captivating reason as to why this should you entrance to the genre. Yet a couple tracks like “No Más” manage to prove the albums’ necessity further. It’s almost danceable in its funk rhythms, with a central message that’s captivating and simple, harkening back to the jazz-fusion of the early 70s.
There’s simply no arguing that this is a record everyone even mildly peeved by current events should lend an ear. Whether or not you end up coming back to it in the future, it’s a release that we sorely needed right now.
