Tuesday, January 26, 2016

Album Review: Gloom Soup -Hoam

Gloom Soup
Hoam
**and1/2 out of *****
The jazz fusion group Gloom Soup's first release Hoam is a journey through musical textures on the full length instrumental disk. The experimental trio from Savannah, GA has talent and play to their wandering strengths. 

Comprised of Gordon Weary on piano, Daniel Butler on Guitar & Bass and Jason Ussery on drums and percussion the group plays it cool, letting sounds ease out and paint sonic landscapes on sudio canvases. They never get to worked up or frantic and it suites the music and playing expertly. 

A musical motif is announced on the upbeat opener "Hold, it Moltvick!" which is scattered but lively.  The more restrained and groove focused "Elephant Tree" follows setting up an easy going tone that continues with the languid with "Whinne the Winning Pig from Winnipeg".

Let's talk about that song name for a moment. With instrumentals there is a sense to name things outrageously in the Frank Zappa vein ("G-Spot Tornado" anyone?) or quirky as Gloom Soup do here. It is no detriment to the music, but without vocals this is the best way for bands to get their personalities across in words...that said "Track 3" on this release sounds about as far from whatever "Whinne the Winning Pig from Winnipeg" is to these ears.   

Other tracks with perhaps questionable names but fun and engaging instrumentation are "Whisker Worm", which is Phish like in its energy and changes as well as "Eternal Alphabet/Good Job, Idiot". "Oz of Bz" has a early jazz base but allows the band the flutter around excellently and proves to be a disk highlight as is the title track which is layered, challenging and rewarding even at a short 2:16. 

That said, all of the tracks are short (most end before 3 minutes) except "Igloominati" which recalls the opening musical statement with running piano and guitar lines, wrapping up Hoam before the relaxed closing punctuation of "Glumcat". That track concludes an interesting instrumental journey and an excellent first release from the new band of which there is unfortunately little online about.
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Another in a seemingly endless stream of great finds on bandcamp. Go there to buy the album or stream it below:

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