Unrecorded Beam
I was lucky enough to get my hands on an early copy of
Unrecorded Beam by Billy Bottle and the Multiple. I’ve had three listens to the
album and it’s been a strange but rewarding journey.
At first I was half hearing it playing in the kitchen with
the noise of family life competing for attention. What I thought I heard was
Canterbury style English Jazz-Folk and I feared that Unrecorded Beam was going
to be a wistful meander through well-trodden territory. Knowing this wasn’t
going to be a fair listen I played it again in the evening, with headphones on,
and heard a completely different sound. Yes, there were stains of the
Canterbury scene, but also a far more direct and jazzy feel. There were some
lovely chords and changes, whole raft of beautiful vocals and a plentiful
supply of great musicianship which had found that difficult line between
technique and feel. Everyone playing on this album sounded like they were doing
it for love. The rhythm section of Gary Evans and Mike Outram provided exactly
the right base to build the songs on and instrumentalists like flutist Vivien
Goodwin-Darke made a huge contribution without over-playing.
On the third listen, also with headphones, I heard the extra
layer. If a good part of my life wasn’t taken up with playing and recording
music I might not have understood how important this layer was. But there, for
me to enjoy, was the crisp production and masterful mixing of Lee Fletcher.
There too were the numerous subtle touches which marked this out as a 21st
Century project. Moments of soundscapes, post-production tweaks of voices and
instruments and more other-worldly moments. Markus Reuter’s Touch Guitar on
Outward Morning is part of this modern yet timeless feel and fits in perfectly
with the more traditional sounds of soprano sax, flute and violin.
There’s a lot to love here and, as with all the best music,
each replay rewards you with something new to hear. Pop over to Bandcamp for a
listen and to buy it.
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