| Basque Falling Forward |
Although I live in New York, I hadn't yet heard of Brooklyn-based ethereal duo Basque when Blu sent me Falling Forward. After listening to their CD a couple of times, I'm sorry I missed them. They are a band with a mature, quirky and deceptively simple vision, and Falling Forward is definitely a worthy effort. The CD opens on a breathtaking note with "Somefire." Brandt is one of the most creative bassists I've ever heard: I'm reminded of mid-period Robert Fripp taken down an octave. Maryasque's vocalise fills the spaces between his occasional notes like Gordon Haskell's trumpet playing on Eno's Ambient albums. From that auspicious beginning, things only get better with Falling Forward. A reviewer from 'sup magazine referred to Maryesque's voice as "Sinead O'Connor meets Enya." It's not a bad comparison, particularly in this title track. In "Kamehameha" and "Inheritance" Brandt makes his bass sound like a Digideroo, providing a World Music flavor to the proceedings. "In the Hollow of your Hand" continues on in this vein, while "Orange Colored Sky" closes things on a whimsical a capella note that once again shows off Maryesque's considerable vocal talents. This is definitely a CD which rewards repeated listens: hell, I'd go so far as to call it a CD which requires repeated listens. My first impression was that they were making pretty but not particularly adventurous or interesting music: only after I gave it a second, serious listen did I realize just how good these guys really are. Like Henryk Gorecki or Anton Bruckner, this is subtle stuff. Some critics have called it "ambient," but that is misleading. Ambient music is intended to function as a backdrop and not as a ding an sich; Basque's music, on the other hand, demands ... and rewards ... close attention. This one is highly recommended. Official Page: Basque on MP3.com: |