Hiromi: Out There (2025)

Similar to my last review, the where’s and how’s of my discovering the indelible virtuosity of jazz pianist Hiromi are lost to the fog of age (and probably weed, who are we kidding?). Maybe it was during my heady exploration of the fusion and jazz rock coming out of Japan in the ’70s, but however the path was laid, I’m so glad it led me to Out There, her latest album and collaboration with her full band unit Sonicwonder. It’s a heady mix of styles, exuberant and joyful and packing so much excellence in the performance aspect once I put it on, it’s hard not to let it replay over and over again.

ChrisDecember 2, 2025Leave a comment

Star Period Star: Twilight Saving Time (2025)

I can’t remember for the life of me where or how I discovered Star Period Star. Or how I wound up with the CD of their fifth studio album, Twilight Saving Time. Maybe it was Sea of Tranquility reviewing it on their YouTube channel; maybe it was elsewhere. And maybe it was a case of the difference in price between the digital download and the CD justified retaking the plunge and grabbing a CD. Whatever the reason, grab it I did, listened once, and promptly forgot about it in the rushing onslaught of releases and reissues. This morning I brewed some piping hot coffee and did some dedicated listening. Good stuff, modern and poppy with hints of ’70s vintage and ’80s neo prog that despite some small reservations works as a fun diversion from the same old bands doing the same old thing.

ChrisDecember 1, 2025November 30, 20251 Comment

Moon Letters: This Dark Earth (2025)

Like I said, I came to Moon Letters not via their debut, but from their most recent album. This Dark Earth is album #3 (their sophomore effort Thank You From The Future remains unheard…at least until the vinyl arrives), and it doubles down on the instrumental wizardry and lush vocal lines. But it also moves away from the analog, 70s vintage sounds for something more modern, taking influences from 80s rock and metal to hone in on and craft their own identity. The growth over six years is evident, with disparate sections of songs coalescing better as the songwriting gets more concise. Nothing is lost, much is gained, and it continues to surprise me with each listen.

ChrisNovember 14, 2025Leave a comment

Moon Letters: Until They Feel The Sun (2019)

When it comes debuts, I like to come in with a different set of expectations, especially if I’m coming to it after already heard later releases. Such is the case with Moon Letters, a Seattle, WA band whose debut Until They Feel The Sun wears its influences so clearly on its sleeve there are moments when I chuckle. But it’s exuberant, and to my ears comes not from calculation but from the rush of joy that comes from making something that speaks to that inner voice, the one that prompted the picking up of an instrument in the first place.

ChrisNovember 12, 20251 Comment

Fields: Feeling Free (The Complete Recordings 1971-1973)

Another shiny object found in the detritus of the 70s: Fields, a trio led by keyboardist Graham Field that rolled deep in the waters of symphonic, progressive, and psychedelic rock. I was only made aware of them a month ago, and I don’t think I’m alone; how else to explain the existence of Feeling Free (The Complete Recordings 1971-1973) which – accurate to its title – collects the band’s entire brief output over two discs? There’s an interesting, “What if early ELP with pop hooks?” vibe to the music that works well, and while there’s nothing earth shattering to be found, it’s a solid compilation I’m glad to fold into my current rotation of classic prog and rock.

ChrisNovember 10, 2025Leave a comment

Miles Davis: Agharta (1975)

Where does a listener start when it comes to the “electric period” of Miles Davis? Where does the “electric period” even begin? Miles and the second quintet were using electric instruments as far back as Miles In The Sky (a personal favorite) but it seems like most folks peg it at the ambient, rolling atmosphere of In A Silent Way (another favorite). Where listeners start, though, is another matter. For me it was unfortunately with Pangaea, a live set from Japan that at age 17 I was not prepared for. Had I only started with that same date’s afternoon set, the brilliantly funky Agharta, I might have more quickly embraced this side of Davis’s career instead of retreating back to the early 60s for much of my 20s and 30s.

ChrisOctober 29, 2025October 29, 2025Leave a comment

Consuming the Tangible

We are what we consume

Category: CD