Artist: Phlox
Label: MKDK Records
Released: 2010
Runtime: 55:24
Rating: 4.5/5
It’s honestly unbelievable that, with all the capacity of today’s internet, there are still bands that get so badly overlooked. Gems in a quarry of mediocrity, bright exceptions in a boundless dungeon, and yet nobody notices them. Sadly, Phlox have no ambitions whatsoever for greater recognition. These guys are pure hedonists, making music for themselves and their own enjoyment. Which is a real shame, because with their new album they’ve once again pulled back the veil on musical spheres that haven’t been uncovered for a long time.
With their fourth album “Talu”, Phlox carry on the vision they showed off on the excellent “rebimine + voltimine” (review here). They stay uncompromising in their music, yet still playful, witty and, above all, original and pleasantly fresh. Still, there are departures from their previous style. There are even more guests on the album, four in total (on the last album two guest instruments appeared, tabla and flute; this time we also get vibraphone, violin, harmonica and flute). But the music on “Talu” has fewer hints of Eastern rhythms. What I miss most is that Canterbury sound, that childlike major-key playfulness between tracks, through which Phlox fully expressed themselves on “rebimine + voltimine” (they consider themselves quite the jokers, as the song and album titles show, mostly puns on Estonian words). On “Talu”, the Estonians have brought back more of that “70’s” jazz-rock sound and stuck to stricter guidelines than ever before. There are far fewer free jazz inserts too, although the sax often takes the lead and delivers sharp, “Zorn-style” solos; noise rock elements, likewise, can hardly be heard anymore. Interestingly, though, the sound is still richer than on “rebimine + voltimine”, often very orchestral, even downright traditionally jazzy. All of this means the album can be compared to something, at least (unlike “rebimine + voltimine”), which is both a plus and a minus. Plenty of passages could be compared to the legendary Return to Forever hit “Hymn of the Seventh Galaxy”; but that’s also why Phlox have lost their spot as total one-of-a-kinds.
The ten tracks thus have a much more defined style, which makes them feel perhaps a lot more conceptual and cohesive. Still, the compositional genius is impossible to miss. Already “Võib-olla dresiiniga”, the track that ushers us into “Talu”, is an incredible composition of the most varied parts, constantly shifting atmosphere and mood. From roaring peaks to sweet jazzy lullabies, all inside a gigantic circle we never want to leave. And that circle isn’t just typical of this one track, it’s a picture of the whole album. All the tracks pull a similar maneuver, yet you can clearly see how Phlox build the mood across the record. The peak is easy to spot, hitting exactly in the middle at the fifth track, “Loomaaed”, which is simply breathtaking. Or rather, simply, it’s “just” another masterpiece from the Estonian champions. The opening hits of the track are, interestingly, extremely drum’n’bass, which again speaks in favor of the band’s eclecticism. Elements of all kinds of genres keep leaping out of every part of every track. The intro of “Istu. Viis”, for instance, is strongly spacey, even though the instruments sound completely “normal”. With the melody alone they come close to what RTF did on “Hymn of the Seventh Galaxy”, conjuring up a cosmic scene with the barest minimum of space sounds. And “Binokkel” has a superb ethno-folk flavor, with the violin fully taking over. There are so many of these elements, and they’re woven so masterfully into this new, stricter jazz-rock direction, that the listener is left speechless.
On every single track, despite how loud any one instrument gets, nothing ever overflows. They all stick to some formula that is certainly invisible, because free jazz freedom lets any instrument come in and drop out at any moment. You can’t tell whether the music is ambient or charged with energy. It’s simply incredible, and describing it would only do it an injustice. If “rebimine + voltimine” could be discussed at length, that’s hard now. Because you could write the same thing about every track on “Talu”. They have similar running times and compositional elements, but the interplay of instruments, the basic melody (if you can even call it that) and plenty more are completely different. And that’s exactly why labeling “the Phloxers” as anything other than geniuses would be an insult.
How do they pull it off? Such musical imagination, so much potential, such output, and yet Phlox still remain a deeply hidden underground scene secret. That’s even harder than making the kind of music the Estonians make. How come? Is it because they’re from Estonia? Or are they simply not interested in media recognition? Maybe they feel most comfortable right here, with a small fanbase, poorly attended gigs in their home country, and tiny print runs and sales of top-notch CDs. But what’s probably most important is that the music stays unbelievable. With “Talu”, they’ve already delivered the jazz-rock highlight of 2010, enough of a fusion dose for the whole rest of the year. And those of us, few as we are, have no choice but to wait on the edge of our seats for the next brainchild from these Estonian innovators.
Lineup
Kalle Klein – saxophone
Raivo Prooso – bass guitar
Pearu Helenurm – keyboards
Kristo Roots – guitar
Madis Zilmer – drums
Allan Prooso – percussion
Guest musicians:
Vambola Krigul – vibraphone
Maarja Nut – violin
Liis Jürgens – harmonica
Ramo Teder – flute
Production
Heiki Tikkas
Tracklist
1. Võib-olla dresiiniga
2. Hullelu
3. Monokkel
4. Ooode
5. Loomaaed
6. In the wood
7. Siil
8. Istu. Viis
9. Augustin
10. Binokkel
