South London based musician Ashley Henry comes through with his brand new album titled Beautiful Vinyl Hunter. One of the major talents of this generation’s jazz scene, I was anticipating this album, hoping to hear him shine throughout the album. While it’s a bit of a long album, the eclecticism of the music composed here and the diverse set of sounds makes it a captivating listen.
Starting with “STAR CHILD” featuring Judi Jackson, the album starts with a slower-paced, moodier tone, with Judi’s soulful vocals floating over an excellent piano melody and hypnotic drumming in the background that keep the tempo intact. As the album progresses, we get more intense, horn-driven melodies such as on the excellent “Introspection” featuring Theo Crocker and “Battle” featuring Binker Golding and Moses Boyd. The intensity of the drumming throughout the album is something to truly commend. “Cranes (In The Sky),” which re-imagines Solange’s track of the same name, is wonderful, with incredible piano melodies and a groovy bassline. The energy on tracks like “Sunrise” and “Dark Honey (4TheStorm) featuring Makaya McCraven is also a tremendous track, while “THE MIGHTY” featuring Ben Marc closes the album out with a hypnotic, electronic synth-heavy beat that just brings such a fantastic, raw and energetic tone to the album. Overall, I’m really impressed by the energy Ashley Henry, his band and the features brought on this release, creating some memorable compositions.
Listen to Ashley Henry’s excellent new album Beautiful Vinyl Hunter below via Bandcamp and don’t forget to support!
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