Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * *
Words are powerful, they are the cornerstone of communication, without them what is intimated is often lost in maelstrom of contact, an empty e-mail expecting the reader to understand their task, a map without context, a song with no feelings or regrets…words are the basis of conversation and mean the world in a place of silence.
Except sometimes, that world can become clearer, the message richer, stronger, purer, by having just the sound of music overpowering the senses, and with not a word uttered, spoken, or given a tune in return. For that to happen each instrument and player must not only think alike, but they must be as Thick As Thieves in the way they handle either discussion, or if a little lighter in detail, that of banter and debate.
In the decade since Let Spin’s formation, the highly acclaimed group’s march of experimental Jazz has thrilled and educated listeners and fans alike, in in their fourth album release, Thick As Thieves, Ruth Goller, Chris Williams, Finlay Panter, and Moss Freed, the dance of the conspiratorial is awoken, the collaborative scheme is given free reign, and the sound, that risk taking of bold stature is revealed as elegance and drama combined.
The point of Jazz is to be as true to life as possible, for some may include a rigid structure and beat, but always the finest sounds as though it is off the cuff, inspired and impulsive spontaneity, and that is how the four members of this engaging super group portray, even if it is unintentional, their belief.
Across tracks that live within the realm of melancholic beauty and exuberant panache such as Ether, the excellent Waveform Guru, the impressive Broken, I Told You, Theremin Gong Bath, and the finale of Liminality, Let Spin are almost Jazz operatic in their display, the sound is not that of a whisper, but as forceful as a tornado, one that is ready to scoop up the young girl and her dog and set her down in a magical world of colour and intrigue.
Words are powerful, but music has a deeper resonance, it is older magic, and those with imagination, with complexity of thought, and those that huddle as Thick As Thieves, understand the mischief and pleasure behind it.
An album of energy and synergy, Let Spin again show their absolute muscle and charm.
Ian D. Hall