New music from Melkbelly, Kamasi Washington
Melkbelly
Nothing Valley
(Wax Nine)
This insufferable critic has to roll his eyes whenever he hears some nonsense about the death of rock or complaints about the lack of good rock bands or whatever.
These people are probably pining for some modern-day Led Zeppelin or Nuggets-style garage rock revivalists, and it would do them some good to explore the underground and not just accept what’s shoved in their faces on mass media.
Take the new, debut album from the Chicago quartet Melkbelly, Nothing Valley—it doesn’t offer obvious influences or retreads, and in today’s world where very little art is truly innovative, it manages to be refreshing without being revolutionary.
Led by singer/guitarist Miranda Winters with guitarist Bart Winters, bassist Liam Winters and drummer James Wetzel, Melkbelly could be a spiritual sibling to the Breeders, with Winters hinting at Kim Deal’s cool, bratty attitude that’s not overwrought. Importantly, the singing doesn’t get in the way of the music and serves as another instrument, eschewing human emotivity, where sensitivity isn’t necessary.
The rock offered here has a different kind of throb, thanks to Wetzel, who effortlessly launches swift blasts (think Hella or Lightning Bolt) like seasoning on tracks like “Middle Of,” without being over-the-top indulgent.
However, a sort of volcanic self-gratification does erupt on the brief “R2PCM,” with jittery, projectile drumbeats and stirrings of noise-rock. “Cawthra” alternates between reserved verses and its cathartic, pulsating wall-of-sound discharges, and “R.O.R.O.B.” also plays with pacing by using a sludgy ending.
Most moments feel busy and agitated but not in an antagonistic way, like “Greedy Gull” which serves up sequences of twisty turns; it’s more about a recreational thrill rather than dark energy. And those raised on punk music know that a little enthusiasm can go a long way in rock music, even possibly trumping musicianship—although that’s not an issue on this confident, stirring debut.
Kamasi Washington
Harmony of Difference
(Young Turks)
Saxophonist Kamasi Washington made a huge cannonball-type splash in 2015 with his diversely nourishing, three-hour-long critically acclaimed jazz odyssey The Epic, so now the question is, with insanely high expectations, how do you follow that?
Washington’s new release, Harmony of Difference, doesn’t go for sprawl like The Epic did; instead, it’s relatively concise and concentrated, clocking in at a more modest 32-minute length.
Its ambition resides in maintaining a diplomatic middle ground between smooth, soul jazz that could potentially be palatable for the uninitiated and the constant hints at avant-garde jazz or spiritual jazz (think John Coltrane or Pharoah Sanders) without diving with abandon into such heady depths.
Washington has assembled a 14-piece group, not including the string section and choir used on the closing “Truth,” and it’s a balanced ensemble with details to be savored and a hopeful vibe that dominates the album’s attitude. There’s also a subtle sense of urgency, conveyed with choice tempo changes and the use of two drummers, one in each of the left and right channels.
Following the welcoming opener “Desire,” “Humility” picks up the pace, letting tight brass riffs dig their hooks in; standout trumpet and piano solos boost the track with bold, meaty and percussive playing, plus a brief, spirited interjection from Washington. “Knowledge” shifts the mood to melodic balladry, with a healthy tug-of-war between a rich gentleness and the counterbalanced kinetic energy of the shuffling drums.
“Integrity” sports a Brazilian flair, toying with samba elements and requisite cuica hoots, and Harmony of Difference culminates with the 13-minute “Truth” for a glorious finale.
Washington, perhaps too humbly, doesn’t quite distinguish himself on his sax parts here, never getting too harsh or too milquetoast.
Oddly, only in the track’s ending moments are some tiny details heard, like string harmonics and electric guitar explorations, but nevertheless, it’s a satisfying release that tempers expectations following a high-profile masterwork.