W&H reviewed the Cosmic Range debut, New Latitudes, couple of years ago and were very impressed.
As it looks set to be a huge year for jazz in terms of mainstream success and crossover appeal I was excited to see what this band would be bringing to the table and it would seem they have gone deeper into the jazz and experimentation which is great to hear. It is a bold album with some quite long pieces, especially the nine and a half minute opening track which shows the John Coltrane influence and also Sun Ra.
They seem intent on 'summoning' help from outside of this earthly domain although it might just be the Middle East? "Breathing Water" then transports us to crystal clear water in Asia somewhere? It is a lovely Zen moment. "Eyes For Rivers" is kind of an effected, distorted and delayed version of "Breathing Water" and consequently a little more in the water than on top of it but still pretty chill. "The Observer" is a full band track with driving percussion and bass line and snake horn/wind lines charming over the top. It is a seventies cop theme gone berserk. "Rivers For Eyes" strips it back to that snake again and the titular track brings it all together and then some.
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The benchmark is set and the timing is right. People are hungry for this stuff, at least they should be anyway?
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