Following in
the tradition of such renegade composers as Frank Zappa, Charles Mingus, Igor
Stravinsky and Harrison Bertwhistle, Dave Morecroft seeks a spot in the musical
firmament that is decidedly left of center. And as keyboardist and principal
composer for the edgy London-based avant-funk-jazz quintet WorldService
Project, he is striking a blow upside the head of musical complacency.
On For
King & Country, the group's RareNoise debut and third release overall, the
powerhouse aggregation cuts across stylistic boundaries with impunity and a
decided 'punk-jazz' attitude. As Morecroft explains, "Punk-jazz for me is
more a reflection of rebellion. Maybe it's jazz but it's played with an 'f-you'
to the establishment/systems that dictate what jazz is supposed to mean or
be." The album will be released on April 29th and will be available on CD,
vinyl and digital download. He further describes the do-or-die presence that
the band adopts onstage. "WorldService Project is a very intense,
high-energy live show. We throw ourselves into it and hope to come out alive at
the other end. And if you're not bleeding by the end of it, you haven't tried
hard enough."
That killer
instinct is conveyed from track to track on For King & Country (the title
itself is a kind of ironic nod to the band's British ancestry). From the
prog-rockish tumult of the opener "Flick the Beanstalk" to the moody
closer "Requiem for a Worm," WorldService Project carries a
pronounced crunch while injecting daring improvisations and myriad punk-jazz
expressions into the mix. Joining Morecroft on this follow-up to 2012's Fire In
A Pet Shop are tenor sax burner Tim Ower, trombonist Raphael Clarkson, bassist
Arthur O'Hara and drummer Harry Pope. Says Morecroft of this audacious WSP
outing, "I wanted For King & Country to be an epic listen, that from
moment to moment it could rage intensely, pull at heartstrings, flip in double
somersaults around the room or sardonically sneer at the establishment. It is
an incredibly personal record for me (much more than any other) with true
heartbreak, anger, loss, disillusionment, ecstasy and piss-taking a-plenty! But
at its heart (I hope), purity of gesture, intensity and sincerity."
The slamming
odd-metered piece "Fuming Duck," for instance, is indeed an epic
listen. Underscored by O'Hara's fuzz bass lines melding with Clarkson's
electric trombone for an uncommonly heavy bottom end, it hits as hard as King
Crimson's "Red" while suggesting something far jazzier. Pope's
monstrous drum solo over the band ostinato at the end of this raging piece is
an adrenalized highlight. Likewise, "Murano Faro" slowly builds from
something dreamy and distant to a throbbing crescendo with Clarkson's trombone
wailing over the top in half-time. "Son of Haugesund" is a blast of
intensity to match anything on Led Zeppelin III while the frantic,
tempo-shifting "Go Down Ho'Ses" carries the zany energy of a ska band
conducted by Frank Zappa. Ower's passionate sax solos on this unhinged number
and on the dramatic "Chamonix" are both exceptional. And on "Mr.
Giggles," at once humorous and scary, Morecroft unveils the cartoonish
vocals of the title character (a sinister clown alter ego that he introduced on
Fire In A Pet Shop) against a clamorous undercurrent. The closer, "Requiem
For A Worm," opens on a restful, introspective note with Ower blowing
breathy tones against a gentle backdrop. Midway through, the mood shifts as the
piece gradually builds to a slamming, fuzz-laden crescendo of epic proportions.
TRACKS: 1.
Flick The Beanstalk; 2. Fuming Duck; 3. Murano Faro; 4. Son Of Haugesund; 5. Go
Down Ho'Ses; 6. Chamonix; 7. Mr Giggles; 8. Requiem For A Worm.
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