Maverick
session musician branches out with a sprawling double LP. It's an
adventurous trip, expect the unexpected!
It's not often an
record truly surprises you but this risk-taking gem has it all.
Brimming with the sum of a myriad of musical influences, Songs
From The Portal is a sprawling, playful mind-map of arcane
musical avenues, recalling the best of '60s into '70s psych/prog,
outré
pop, Tropicália
along with the odd foray into middle eastern scales and time
signatures. Wright's love and enthusiasm for all things psychedelic
shines through. From Os Mutantes to Aphrodite's Child, the influences
are there though all presented with an arty playfulness that's sadly
lacking from a lot of other modern psych records.
This is no re-hashed
retro trip though, there's nothing predictable about this album, you
just can't second guess it. It's the sonic equivalent of routing
through a well-stocked olde curiosity shoppe, unearthing sounds and
rhythms you'd forgotten about or never even knew existed. Wright has
sifted through all manner of musical bric-a-brac
and objet
trouvé, and curated
them in his own unique manner. It's an album that's not afraid to
take risks, and while you may not like every song, (there are twenty
one of them after all), you have to admire the far-reaching ambition.
There
are surprising twists and turns along the way. Along with the ever
present psych and prog feel you journey through piano jazz (Jam At
Jim's), spaghetti western mariachi (Uncle John (Why Are You
Crying?)), and the channelling of some musical greats – early Bowie
on Hipgnomes, and David Axelrod on Hypnotist to mention just two.
It's Wright's own personality and expertise that reigns supreme
though. His wide-reaching musicality combined with a sense of fun are
perhaps best represented on the opening track A Tap On The Shoulder.
It's a spooky, supernatural tale complete with a bizarre and
infectious late lyrical flourish. Vinyl-heads will be pleased to know
there's a limited double LP version available. Buy with confidence,
trust me, I just know you'll like it.
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