Cool, heady vibe comes naturally to Badge Époque
Badge Époque Ensemble
Self Help | badgeepoque.bandcamp.com
Genre: Jazz funk/psychedelia Key track: Birds Fly Through Ancient Ruins
On its sophomore release, this Toronto septet drops seven new songs and brings in a quartet of guest singers to bring the words of lyricist/keyboardist Maximilian Turnbull to record.
While the release is certainly not a play for commercial appeal by this decidedly outside act, the addition of some songs with vocals is a nice way to split up the heady mix of jazz fusion, futuristic funk and progressive rock that the group is so adept at creating. As for a surprise breakout single, there isn't one. Although Just Space for Light — featuring guest vocals from Jennifer Castle — would have graced FM radio back in the days when songs such as Pink Floyd's Money or Genesis' The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway got radio play.
This group lets its music go where it wants to. Using non-traditional rock instruments such as flute, saxophone and vintage keyboards can sound gimmicky in the wrong hands. But Badge Époque Ensemble sounds as if it came to its cool vibe naturally.
Here are five things to know about the album.
1.
Sing A Silent Gospel
OK, the title is a misnomer as there is nothing silent about this opening track. Kicking off with a crescendo of percussion before the organ slinks in with the sax right behind, there is a Steely Dan thing happening here. That is, until Meg Remy and Dorothea Paas start trading off jazzy vocals like something straight off of a Flora Purim album from the mid-'70s. Even with its frequent time shifts and breaks, the song manages to find a groove. Chris Bezant deserves a shout out for his circular picking at the midway point.
2
Unity (It's Up to You)
The closest thing to a single on the whole album rides on the soulful vocals of James Baley and those airy backing choruses which wouldn't sound out of place on an old Funkadelic record. Key to every song on the album is the three-way rhythm section of drummer Jay Anderson, bassist Giosuè Rosati and percussionist Ed Squires, who really lock into a pulsing dialogue here.
3
The Sound Where my Head Was
All hail the klavinet for its unparalleled ability to give everything a slight touch of the Renaissance. Herbie Hancock got that in his Mwandishi and Headhunters ensembles and so does Turnbull. This song is a joy for keyboard heads to bang along to.
4
Just Space for Light
Jennifer Castle is a perfect fit for this mellow ballad. Flute player Alla O'brien counters Castle's easy-flowing vocal with just the right amount of melodic sympathy until that fat break around the 2:50 mark breaks the song into whole different territory. Someone commented that there is a Blood, Sweat & Tears feel to this tune and that is both accurate, and high praise.
5
Birds Fly Thorough Ancient Ruins
An 11 minute opus of breathy flute-meets-stoner psyche that sounds like one of those essential cuts that a band like this could extend into a jam to take up a whole side of a double-live vinyl pressing. What's great about it is the way that it never really abandons the slow flow for any kind of fast break at any point. The birds are taking their time through these ancient ruins.
NEW MUSIC THIS WEEK: Cora and the Moon
Just A Phase | Coraandthemoon. bandcamp.com
Genre: alt-folk/rock
Key track: Magnetic Hill
A bit of a B.C. roots scene who's who makes an appearance on this album from the Brunettes' Cora Brunette. The vocalist/guitarist is working in less folk territory and more in an alt-folk pop zone that reminds one of that jangle pop/shoegaze sound that so many late '80s Scottish indie bands played so well. Brunette has a bluesy delivery that means there is always a slightly ragged sound to songs such Space Junk or Magnetic Hill and the honkytonk Things You Love.
Dinah Thorpe
For the Birds | dinahthorpe.com
Genre: alternative pop Key track: The Spring Flowers
Toronto singer Thorpe isn't afraid of making electronically charged music that straddles the dramatics of the Bristol sound of Portishead with a more industrial EDM pulse and vocals that touch on the more fragile nature of emotional interaction. Whether she's comforting someone repeating It's OK in the sonic void of Pottery Rd., or delivering Whippoorwill in a near a cappella fashion that seems purposely crafted to cause you to tense up, her music is all full of haunted longing for giving the dialogues in your head space to be. It's not hard to picture her performing an entire show in the dark.
Kele Fleming
The Song I'll Write For My Whole Life | kelefleming.bandcamp.com
Genre: singer/songwriter pop
Key track: The Great Acceleration
The fourth album from this singer/songwriter was penned during 2019 on vacation in remote parts of B.C. and Ontario and there is no mistaking an environmental bent in the material. From the pumping bass line of the opening tune Vanishing of Bees, which is a lush pop ballad boasting a soaring vocal on the chorus, to the waltzing folk of the beautifully-titled Lullaby for Gutenberg, this is pretty literate and textured stuff. Engineer Sheldon Zaharko deserves credit for really capturing her intelligent lyrics and interesting arrangements. Plus, Scott Fletcher's banjotar sounds super rad.
Mike Hodsall
Into the Mist (Part One) | mikehodsall.bandcamp.com
Genre: Ambient
Key track: Into the Mist Pt. 2 If you think that anyone who is a member of legendary Canadian punk rock act DOA would only make music that was, well, DOA, you are wrong. This new project from the punk rock bassist is an ambient soundscape collection that would appeal to Jean Michel Jarre fans more than hardcore heads. Comprising two long pieces — Into the Mist Pt. 1 and Pt. 2 — the music is synth-heavy washes interspersed with the occasional Mike Oldfield-like guitar skittering over top. Nice music for reading to on a dark and stormy night.