Honing a group dynamic, this young Canadian trio (Jonathan Lindhorst, tenor sax;, Ryan Butler, guitars; Adam Miller, drums) seamlessly blends abstract soundscapes and gracefully melodic jazz with aspects of indie rock and grunge. Original compositions offer a nice variety of approaches to pacing and dynamics. Their creative improvising and distinctive instrumental sounds confirm a serious commitment to jazz; catchy hooks and gently insistent vamps broaden the appeal.

Smart Matter reveals a talented, big-ears collective who love playing together and are always looking for new ways to reach listeners with music that doesn’t sacrifice smarts to accessibility (and vice versa). This is a band that clearly values emotional connection and beauty over hipness or technical complexity. More often than not the emphasis is on a group sound and collective improvisation rather than any one person’s solo, and the band has worked tirelessly to create a seamless blend of total music. The twin poles of ambient soundscaping and prog rock are noticeable here and there, as are grunge and minimalism; throughout there’s an emphasis on melody and concision. The record includes a Radiohead cover (‘Pyramid Song’) and a classic of Canadian folk, ‘Northwest Passage’, in an instrumental/vocal arrangement (wordless vocals are used on some other tunes as texture).

Track Listing

• Smart Matter
• Pyramid Song
• Arms Wide Open
• Creation
• Elephant
• Patience
• Inner Space
• Wisdom
• Separation Anxiety
• Vampyroteuthus Infernalis
• Lost in Life
• Protection
• Northwest Passage

Additional Details

Label:Songlines

Genre:Jazz

Run Time:58 mins

Release Date:06/14/11

UPC:774355159026