From beginning to end this unique ensemble take the listener on a musical adventure that refuses to be stereotyped or tied to any genre other than that of its own creation, with the disparate elements of the music ruthlessly exploited by Figes, Beraha and Jim Blomfield
Pig Records PIG20
Kevin Figes (woodwind, voice, compositions, lyrics); Brigitte Beraha (voice); Jim Blomfield (piano, Fender Rhodes, Hammond); Ashley John Long (bass); Mark Whitlam (drums)
Recorded 8 – 11 January 2025
The third release from Kevin Figes Wallpaper Music and arguably their most accessible to date. However, those that enjoyed the aural quirkiness and spirit of the earlier albums need not fear as there is plenty of the above to be heard in this new collection of compositions penned by Figes.
Once again Figes’s vision, expertly negotiated by his regular collaborators, knows no boundaries as he explores the weather, the chaos of modern living and Dorian Gray’s Bathroom Cabinet in a fine a varied selection that tantalisingly touches bases with jazz, experimental music, song and improvisation.
Figes throws everything at the listener in just under four minutes in the opening ‘Fair Weather’, from song structure, groove and abstraction as does the following, albeit more gently, in the lyrical ‘The Big Flood’ that features some wonderful saxophone from Figes and a more straight forward delivery of the lyrics from Beraha.
‘Into The Woods’ makes effective use of overdubbed vocals and electronics, and this method of working is also to be found in the ethereal opening of ‘Same Time Next Week’ that leads into a delightfully melodic piece for soprano saxophone and wordless vocals with the added bonus in Figes’s flute over the gentle groove of the composition.
This rhythmic drive is also to the fore on ‘Dorian Gray’s Bathroom Cabinet’ with excellent solos from Figes on alto and Jim Blomfield on keys (who also shines with his Hammond solo on ‘February’).
If surreal narrative and humour are sprinkled throughout this engaging set, then Kevin Figes’s seems determined to serve this up in spades in the closing ‘Strangers on a Train’ that uses another strong and inventive groove to grab the attention over which a scripted text is abandoned as an improvised spoken dialogue between Beraha and Figes emerges.
From beginning to end this unique ensemble take the listener on a musical adventure that refuses to be stereotyped or tied to any genre other than that of its own creation, with the disparate elements of the music ruthlessly exploited by Figes, Beraha and Jim Blomfield’s creative use of his keyboards and the different textures each produces. Bassist Ashley John Long and Mark Whitlam on drums meet the needs of Figes’s demanding music with great skill and feeling in propelling this dynamic ensemble.
