Tag: Blue Note Records

Maya Delilah – “The Long Way Round” review

Maya Delilah is a 24 year old R&B singer/songwriter from London, England, United Kingdom who introduced herself in the summer of 2020 with her debut EP Oh Boy & later It’s Not Me, It’s You the next fall. Both of which were welcomed to mixed reception, signing a joint deal with Blue Note Records & Capitol Records roughly 12 months later. 2 & a half years have passed since & she’s ready to take herself to new heights on her debut album.

“Begin Again” minimally begins her Blue Note debut hoping nothing changes whenever she rewinds to a certain point in her life whereas “Look At the State of Me Now” hooks up some mellow ass guitar work singing about everyone taking a look at how she’s doing currently. “Man of the House” experiments with country-pop reveling in the domestic potential of new love prior to “Maya, Maya, Maya” delving further down the introspection topically.

Meanwhile on “Jeffrey”, we have Maya taking a backseat vocally making way for an acoustic guitar & some organs to prominently take over the spotlight just before “Squeeze” brings a funkier vibe to the table telling her lover to never let her go. “Actress” samples the late Curtis Mayfield singing that she’s on the verge of losing control & getting lost, but then “Did I Dream It At All?” hops over these pianos to address the theme of despair.

“I’ll Be There in the Morning” starts the final leg of The Long Way Round by taking inspiration from an unpleasant experience she once had while the acoustic “My Balloon” apologizes to this individual for keep pulling them back to her. The western-tinged “Necklace” sings about feeling as if 2 worlds are intersecting & being a realist while “Never with You” ends by admitting her fear of growing old.

The Long Way Round compared to her early EPs feels like combination of so many parts of her since she’s so influenced by different genres, people, places & experiences that it’s always felt hard for me to fit my music into a consistent sound or mood. It took her a long time to realize that it’s a beautiful thing to have a body of work that explores so many different influences. It brings her intimacy, ability, inspiration depth & lightness into 1 striking debut.

Score: 4/5

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Consentrik Quartet – Self-Titled review

The Consentrik Quartet are a jazz band consisting of drummer Tom Rainey, upright bassist Chris Lightcap, tenor saxophonist Ingrid Laubrock & guitarist Nels Cline. The latter of whom has already put out his most recent solo efforts Lovers alongside Currents, Constellations & Share the Wealth through what I consider to be the greatest jazz label of all-time: Blue Note Records. Understandably, it only makes sense for the Consentrik Quartet to come over to Blue Note to put out their official debut album as a group.

“The Returning Angel” takes inspiration from Nels’ career spanning 5-decades already with a quietly reflective intro whereas “The 23” was a highly enjoyable lead single embracing a jazz-rock sound. “Surplus” prominently shows off Nels & Ingrid’s abilities playing the guitar & tenor saxophone for a little over 5 minutes keeping the jazz-rock vibes going strong until “Slipping into Something” starts with a guitar for the first half until the drums & tenor sax both make their way in the equation for the other.

Meanwhile on “Allende”, we have the Consentrik Quartet giving off a somber mood feeling like the perfect composition that would suit a rainy day just before “House of Steam” layered some guitars on it to get extra resonance on the opening theme. “Inner Wall” begins the 2nd half of the band’s debut giving off a mysterious flare for a good chunk of it waiting during the last minute & a half or so to bring the drums to the table, but then the “Satomi” turns the nihilism up going for a darker & deliberate turn through punk & post-rock.

“The Bag” was actually written as a dedication to drummer Tom Rainey including some of my favorite instrumentation on the entire LP leading into the 2nd single “Down Close” excitingly blending the cool jazz & free improvisation subgenres together. “? (The Spot)” continues the backend of these guys’ introductory debut since the tumultuous disorientation is another moment of aggression or fervor on the entire thing & “Time of No Sirens” finishes up with a gently, emotionally deep counterpart.

By turns swinging, grooving, bracing, mesmeric & quietly stunning, the Consentrik Quartet’s spotlights the ensemble’s profound chemistry as well as Cline’s versatility as both a player & a writer with 12 evocative soundscapes. It’s a love letter to the Brooklyn improvised-music scene that he became a vital player in well over a decade ago & though he no longer lives in the borough, his allegiance to the creative musicians Brooklyn nurtures remains steadfast.

Score: 4/5

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