CD Review: Jacob Bain & The Publish Quest's 'Then What!?'

Jacob Bain & The Publish Quest
Then What!?
Self-Release

The Seattle-based band, Jacob Bain & The Publish Quest, incorporates a plethora of Afro-beat elements and folk/rock/alternative leanings. There are rap vocals on "Gotta Keep Movin!" and "I Believe People Can Change." Femi Kuti lends some vocals on the title track, "Then What!?." There are great guitar jams here with some jazz, fusion, and rock influences. However, the entire album is relatively light overall. For instance, the rap vocals are not particularly hard or difficult to understand. A mix of instrumentation provides an enjoyable listening experience, even though there are some rap vocals. You will hear congas, trumpet, acoustic guitar, viola, violin, bass, tenor sax, alto sax, baritone sax, keyboards, electric guitar, and classical guitar. The Dave Matthews Band comes to mind at times. "Then What!?," "Gotta Keep Movin!," "The Wall," and "When It Comes" are recommended tracks. There is an urban element to the abovementioned tracks, but there is plenty of room for alternative pop and fusion. Whatever it is called, Then What!? is something that everyone should possess and play. ~ Matthew Forss

CD Review: Eyvind Kang's 'The Narrow Garden'

Eyvind Kang
The Narrow Garden
Ipecac

The Northwest, USA-based composer, performer, and musician extraordinaire, Eyvind Kang, celebrates classical, Middle Eastern, and avant-garde/jazz rhythms and melodies with his latest release, The Narrow Garden. Eyvind is also an accomplished erhu player, violinist, and tuba player. Neo-classical upbringing aside, Eyvind creates beautiful palettes of aural color that emanate from the album with ease and grace. In fact, an angelic undertone is featured on "Pure Nothing," which contains female choral sounds and neo-classical and new age leanings not completely unlike the music of Enya. On "Forest Sama'i," Eyvind tackles Middle Eastern and Persian musicalities, which seem right at home on this album. The quirky, avant-garde masterpiece, "Usnea," showcases Eyvind's knack for creating intricate, unusual, and diverse compositions. In this case, the song wanders dangerously close to experimental realms with strings, flutes, and metallic embellishments without electronic accompaniment. The operatic vocals of "Mineralia" and the cinematic, neo-classical/ambient nature of "The Narrow Garden," evokes the works of Steve Roach, Brian Eno, Enya, Vangelis, and others to be named in the future. The Narrow Garden seems right at home straddling the musical worlds of neo-classical, Middle Eastern, spiritual, avant-garde, experimental, and new age. ~ Matthew Forss