THE COMET IS COMING — The Afterlife (review)

THE COMET IS COMING — The Afterlife album cover EP · 2019 · Nu Jazz Buy this album from MMA partners
4/5 ·
snobb
Just half a year after the release of their second full-size album "Trust in the Lifeforce of the Deep Mystery", Londoners The Comet Is Coming come with new half an hour EP "The Afterlife". As other Shabaka Hutchings' musical projects, "The Comet..." is in a forefront of burgeoning English jazz scene, so there is not all that strange the trio releases their next work same year. "The Afterlife" contains outtakes from same sessions which made "Trust in the Lifeforce of the Deep Mystery" and surprisingly enough, this newest release sounds even partially stronger for my ears.

The opener,"All That Matters Is the Moments", is a true bomb and contains Joshua Idehen narration (he is already known to Shabaka's fans from previous "Comet's..." releases and from the other Hutchings' project - Sons Of Kemet as well). Comparing with the album, released earlier this year, music on this EP is not so heavy,less aggressive, a bit more spacey with lot of analog electronic effects, relaxed in moments and is closer to spiritual jazz than fusion of previous work.

Shabaka's sax plays impressively remember-able tunes, framed with loops and twists from synths and repetitive minimalist drumming,recalling Sun Ra and Germans Can at the same time.

There is more soul in "The Afterlife", less brutal power and quite often whole music sounds closer to "Comet's..." another album, "Death To The Planet", than to closer related "Trust In The Lifeforce Of The Deep Mystery". The trio is touring Europe now, I expect they should sound impressive when playing live. Not all songs are equally strong though, in moments it feels that it's an outcuts album, but it is a strong outcuts album anyway.

One of the best what modern London's jazz scene offers.
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