Album Review: The Joy of Motion by Animals As Leaders
Harmony & Discord: The Paradox of Mastery
The Joy of Motion, an opus by the instrumental virtuosos Animals As Leaders, is not merely an album; it's a tapestry woven with the very threads of musical innovation. This collection of auditory experiences serves not just to entertain but to challenge the very boundaries of what we might perceive as music.
From the outset, Ka$cade envelops us in a complex embrace, its polyrhythmic pulses and melodic contortions questioning the motives behind our conventional listening habits. Why do we cling to the familiar when the unknown presents such thrilling possibilities? Tosin Abasi's fingers don't just pluck strings; they conjure questions, demanding why we, the listeners, so often settle for the four-chord songs when infinity lies at our fingertips.
As we traverse through Lippincott and Air Chrysalis, we are struck by the juxtaposition of mechanical precision and organic flow. Here lies the contradiction: music that is at once meticulously calculated and wildly free. The band's ability to marry digital-age perfection with the raw, emotive power of human performance is nothing short of alchemy.
The standout track for me, so cunningly intricate that it seems to mock the very notion of genre, has to be The Woven Web. This piece, a veritable odyssey in its own right, is a masterclass in the art of contrast. The track begins with a deceptive simplicity, a lure into the illusion of predictability, before it unravels into a complex interplay of staccato riffs and percussive slaps. It's as if the guitar (no, that’s not a bass) strings themselves are engaged in a frenetic dialogue, each note a word spoken in haste. The middle section of the song, with its hauntingly melodic tapping, serves as a reflective pool — a moment of calm in the eye of the storm — before the resurgence of the initial theme, now more insistent, more demanding. The Woven Web does not just challenge the listener; it dares them to find coherence in the chaos, to find the method in the madness. It's a sonic embodiment of the modern world: myriad individual threads, each significant, yet only discernible as part of the greater whole. This track, with its slight sarcasm towards the simplicity of mainstream melodies, captures the essence of the album: the beauty of complexity and the subtle fear of becoming ensnared within it.
Yet, amidst this celebration of complexity, one must wonder if the soul of music risks being entangled in the very web of sophistication it weaves. Does the relentless pursuit of technical mastery overshadow the primal, visceral impact that simpler music can have? It's a question that hangs in the air, even as the album's intricate layers continue to unfold.
The heart of the issue, however, is not the complexity itself, but rather the intent behind it. The refreshingly funky Physical Education serves as a masterclass in control, a reminder that restraint is the companion of exuberance. The band's ability to navigate through the most labyrinthine passages with purpose and direction is a testament to their mastery. They are not showmen indulging in virtuosity for its own sake; they are artists painting with notes and rhythms, each stroke deliberate and meaningful.
In the realm of solutions, one might suggest that Animals As Leaders could temper their relentless innovation with moments of simplicity, granting the listener an occasional reprieve from the onslaught of their genius. Yet, to do so would be to dilute their vision, to clip the wings of a band that soars on the thermals of their own creativity.
The album's penultimate track, Nephele, is the embodiment of this creative zenith. It is a maelstrom of emotion, a dance of light and shadow, where the technical and the expressive merge into something transcendent. It is here that the album's true essence is revealed: a celebration of the joy of motion itself – the movement of fingers on frets, of electrical signals through circuits, of eardrums and hearts alike.
The Joy of Motion is a paradoxical masterpiece, a beacon of modern musicianship that both illuminates and obscures, challenges and alienates. It is a work that demands not just listening, but engagement, prompting us to question the very nature of music and our relationship with it. Animals As Leaders have not just recorded an album; they have crafted a philosophical inquiry set to the tune of the future. And for those willing to embark on this journey, the rewards are as boundless as the music itself.