Smooth and sultry, this is swagger with subtlety, songcraft that dazzles and delights as much in its calmer moments as at its explosive peaks.
‘Moving Forward’ begins its journey to the tickling tune of the keys, the sway of the sweeping sidestep sets the rhythm as the rest of the instruments begin to join in the merry movement. The strings slice through the sound with stabbing precision, while the percussion picks out a funky little strut bouncing beside the bubbling bass.
The vocals ascend instantly to the loftiest heights with effortless grace. A powerful voice that doesn’t need to posture with grandiose displays filled with trills and frills, but relaxes into the track with a calm, collected, and cool confidence. This is an emotive and electric performance which lets the listener feel every line as acutely as if they had written it themselves.
Lyrically the song speaks of the same meditative calm and cool voice that delivers the message. It is about acceptance, presence, and mindfulness. It is about accepting that wild winds will come to blow you off course, but true strength lies in the ability to sway with the breeze, let it move you, but remembering to keep your feet firmly planted on the path you were trying to tread before the storm.
The musicality behind the message is expertly crafted to epitomize this energy. It is constantly shifting, expanding, and exploring the riffs, ebbs, and flows at its heart, but that central piano piece is always there, never bending too far away from the path it set us on at the beginning. Music that manages to marry the instrumentation and lyrics in poetic synergy like this is very rare, but when done right it creates a concrete meaning told equally in chord and call that elevates its soul into the realm of myth and magic.
This is a band that takes jazz away from the abstract or obtuse niche it sometimes finds itself in, and gifts it with open arms and accessibility to anyone with the ear to listen. This is beautiful music made by beautiful people. Can’t wait to hear more.
