Artist: SIMO
Album: Rise & Shine
Bitrate: 229kbps avg
Quality: EAC Secure Mode / LAME 3.98.4 / -V0 / 44.100Khz
Label: Provogue Records
Genre: Rock
Size: 107.47 megs
PlayTime: 1h 01min 07sec total
Rip Date: 2017-09-30
Store Date: 2017-09-15
Track List:
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01. Return 4:13
02. Meditation 4:11
03. Shine 3:52
04. People Say 3:56
05. Don't Waste Time 3:15
06. I Want Love 5:24
07. The Climb 3:13
08. Light The Candle 7:19
09. Be With You 7:36
10. The Light 5:03
11. I Pray 13:05
Release Notes:
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Nashville Trio Simo have long been gaining plaudits for their eclectic and
exciting sound that takes its cues from blues, soul and even funk whilst
maintaining a loose-limbed psychedelic edge that draws the listener into a
multi-coloured world that exists beyond the mundane boundaries of reality. Back
with their hotly-anticipated new album, æRise and shineÆ, the band, who spent
much of last year touring the world, not only live up to, but exceed all
expectations with a magnificently playful set that will appeal as much to fans
of Beck and Kyuss as it does to fans of Clapton and Hendrix.
The album opens with the ragged funk of æreturnÆ, a track that sounds like Beck
covering the Red Hot Chilli Peppers. Raw and exciting, it eases the listener in
before the wired, Carlos Alomar-esque riff of æmeditationÆ slinks into view over
Adam AbrashoffÆs back beat, which nails the track squarely to the dance floor.
Effortlessly exciting, this is music that, in a perfect world, would belt out of
the radio 24/7 (believe me, the world would be a happier, brighter place if it
did), and itÆll have you tapping your feet in no time even as JD SimoÆs nervy
vocal burns itself into your brain. Things take an even bolder, brighter turn
with the ecstatic soul-infused rock of æShineÆ, a track that does what it says
on the tin with SimoÆs riffs and Elad ShapiroÆs groovy bass lines bringing a
little bit of sunshine into the room no matter the weather or the time of day.
WeÆre back into Alomar territory with the rock-hard funk of æpeople sayÆ, the
track racing by seemingly on Adrenalin alone, so much so that the smooth, creamy
riffing of ædonÆt waste timeÆ comes as something of a relief, SimoÆs fluid
guitar work flowing silkily over the rhythm sectionÆs taut backing. The first
half of the album concludes with the soulful ballad æ I want loveÆ, a moment of
calm before the instrumental storm of æthe climbÆ which opens the albumÆs second
half. Reminiscent of Robert Cray via Janis Joplin and Jeff Buckley, the track
sees Simo adopt a shimmering falsetto before plunging into a distorted tone
backed by a suddenly plunging guitar that explodes in the darkness like a
suddenly ignited candle.
Opening the albumÆs second half is the syncopated instrumental æThe climbÆ,
which sees Simo exploring his fret board with all the glee of a sonic adventurer
cut loose in the studio before the whole band deliver a career peak with the
gargantuan riffing of blues-rock epic ælight the candleÆ, a track that takes the
wild experimentation of the Allman BrothersÆ legendary æat Fillmore EastÆ as its
cue. Effortlessly expanding the track to a lysergic seven minutes in length, the
band sound like they had a riot in the studio and the recording captures their
raw spontaneity with both depth and power. Similarly lengthy is æbe with youÆ, a
track that initially captures Simo at his most vulnerable before exploding into
the sort of glorious psychedelic epic that the Doors indulged in at their most
unhinged. As the track progresses, so we find Simo gibbering ôyouÆre all I think
about!ö as the riffs edge into a frenzy of lustful desire that blazes and burns
with progressive fury. Providing some respite from the white hot riffs of its
predecessor, æthe lightÆ is a simple porch song, played solo on an acoustic
guitar and as naked and vulnerable as music gets. Close your eyes and Simo is
there in the room with you, battered guitar in hand as he expresses his
innermost fears in a manner that harks back to Kurt CobainÆs intense reading of
Lead BellyÆs æwhere did you sleep last nightÆ. The album comes to an end with
the fourteen-minute æI prayÆ, a shimmering, progressive monster in the vein of
æMeddleÆ-era Pink Floyd with hints of Sonic Youth and a schizophrenic,
Clutch-esque chorus that appears from nowhere to demolish the listener with its
ferocity. A truly glorious piece of music that appeals for respect in tolerance
in an era of ever-increasing right-wing attitudes and closed-mindedness, æI
PrayÆ is one of the most powerful social statements set to music of recent years
and its open-ended structure only adds to the power and drama of the sentiments
it expresses. ItÆs hard to put into words the thoughts and emotions that æI
prayÆ evokes. It draws on rock, jazz, prog and blues and it sends cold fingers
up and down the spine. ItÆs epic, beautiful, frightening in its elemental power
and beautiful in its delicacy. It is a grand, eloquent expression of music as
art and it is astonishing.
Seriously, where to start when an album is this good? Perhaps a brief anecdote,
so please bear with me. When I was in my teens, Sonic Youth released the album
æWashing machineÆ. The final track to that album is æthe diamond seaÆ, a sonic
exploration for which I was wholly unprepared. It brought out the gooseflesh on
my arms and it was often that I would escape to a quiet place so I could lose
myself amidst the trackÆs psychedelic washes of noise and feedback. As you get
older, such moments become increasingly rare, but Simo capture that same sense
of emotion and energy and the music blazes its way into your subconscious,
taking you over body and soul. æRise and ShineÆ is a remarkable album, as
essential as music gets, and it should be mandatory listening for anyone who
believes that contemporary music has lost its spark. I find it hard to imagine a
better album this year, perhaps in the next few years, and am aching to return
to it once more even as I write these final words. Simo have crafted a
masterpiece in ærise and shineÆ, no more, no less, and if their output never
amounts to more than this, theyÆll have earned their place in rockÆs storied
history.