The Davenports: “You Could’ve Just Said That” (2025) CD Review

The Davenports formed in 2000, the band being the project of singer and songwriter Scott Klass. The new Davenports album, You Could’ve Just Said That, is a bit different from previous releases in that Scott plays nearly all the instruments, making it more of a solo album.  That being said, there are musicians joining him on certain tracks, several who have played on earlier Davenports releases, such as Danny Weinkauf,  Dan Miller, Claudia Chopek, Eleanor Norton and Rob Draghi. The music is basically in the pop realm, but with lyrics that transcend much of what is heard from that arena, and delivered with some really appealing vocal work. In addition to providing the vocals, Scott Klass plays guitar, keyboards, bass and percussion.

The album opens with “When Everything’s Over,” which has a groovy, kind of funky vibe from the start, with that strong bass work. “Better take all you can get/You’ll be stewing in regret/When everything’s over.” There is something delightfully catchy about this song. Part of it is that bass line, and part of it is the vocal line. The first time I listened to this song, the line “Why did you even ask us all here anyway?” struck me as a question to some sort of deity, wanting to know why the hell we’re here, something that I imagine all of us wonder about at least on occasion. Of course there is no answer to that, for there is no reason, and nothing there to offer an answer. But it probably hit me that way only because I’d been contemplating such things lately, and music often seems to address whatever it is that we’re experiencing and pondering. That is interesting too, for it means that everyone hears any given song at least a little differently. He repeats “Ask us all here anyway” a few times before going into a brief but wonderful instrumental section. This track has a sudden ending, and the disc goes right into “The Annabellas Of The World.” This is one of the tracks that feature other musicians. Jack McLoughlin is on pedal steel (he has played on albums by Kris Gruen, Sam Barron, and Eva And The Vagabond Tales, among others), Danny Weinkauf is on bass (you know him for his work in They Might Be Giants), and Rob Draghi is on drums. Chris Collingwood  (of Fountains Of Wayne) and Philip Price (of Winterpills) provide backing vocal work. This is a strangely delightful pop number. “Annie knows she can’t go back and change anything/So she puts on her hat and her emerald ring/While you stare at the Commonwealth drunks/As they sing ‘We Will Rock You.’”

“I Am Lying” also features a couple of guests joining him. This time it is a string section, made up of Claudia Chopek on violin and viola, and Eleanor Norton on cello, both of whom played on Kate Jacobs’ excellent Home Game album. Claudia Chopek has also played with Father John Misty and Bright Eyes; Eleanor Norton has played with Natalie Merchant. This one begins with a bit of a folk feel. But check out that bass work, which pulls it in a somewhat different direction. The song is about how sometimes a person will either lie or just withhold information in order to avoid a potential misunderstanding or problem. “And even though it was a harmless drink with an old friend/You know that honesty won’t play/I am lying, I am lying/It’s just easier that way.” The truth is something that in recent years many people seem to have completely dispensed with, and so it’s a subject on our minds. How could it not be when perhaps the most dishonest person in the history of humanity occupies the White House? There is certainly an element of melancholy to this song. I love the work on strings. Then Matthew Klass joins Scott Klass on lead guitar for “If You Put Me Next To Patti,” a sweet, kind of delightful song. “If you put me next to Patti, I’ll lie awake all night.” It is a song that focuses on a seating arrangement, perhaps at a wedding. And is that a little play on the documentary filmmaker in the lines “Ken burns toasts that meander/And other things that make him mad”?

“We’re Talking About You” comes on with more force, the bass a prominent part of that force, and is totally catchy. “Going over everything that’s over/Everything is getting harder.” Matthew Klass plays lead guitar on this track too. There is a surprising section focused on the beat in the second half, reminding me of some of the fun pop and rock numbers of my childhood. This is one of my favorite tracks. Scott Klass changes gears then with “Full-Length Mirror,” which has a pretty folk-pop sound. I love this music, the feel of it, the sound, its overall vibe. Matthew Klass is on lead guitar on this one as well, delivering some nice work. “But by then she was onto another thing again.” This one seems to deliberately unravel at the very end. That’s followed by the album’s title track, “You Could’ve Just Said That.” Check out the song’s opening lines: “You ran into the bedroom/To shower off your night/Sometimes some harmless trouble’s/Enough to make you feel all right/You could’ve just said that/And we would’ve been fine.” How can you help but love this? Like “I Am Lying,” this is a song about communicating. And the line “But your silence got me thinking” has some weight to it, in part because we each bring something of ourselves to lines like that. Jack McLoughlin joins again on pedal steel, delivering some wonderful work. This is another of the disc’s highlights.

“I’m Not Gonna Bother You” is another interesting song, and in its own way is also about communication. Here are its opening lines: “I see you’re trying to focus, that’s okay/I’ve got plenty more to do today/We said we’d get to the trip somehow/But I’m not going to bother you right now.” I love the sad humor to those lines, for this person admits knowing the other person is focused on something, but clearly wants to talk, and actually does. In effect, he’s bothering this person by saying he won’t bother her or him right then. And then the next line is a question, “Did you hear Samantha caused a scene?” Perhaps an answer isn’t expected. But there is that desire to reach this other person. I’m guessing each of us hears a specific person here. That’s followed by “When I Tell You That I’m Sorry.” This one also has arresting opening lines: “As I hear about your father/I look round at the others/Who don’t yet know he’s gone/They’ve got a few more sips of fun/Before the morning light comes on.” What we wouldn’t do for a few more sips of fun. But what is there is everything he left behind, the common objects as well as the meaningful. Lately I find myself looking around at what will be left when I’m gone, and none of it seems to hold any meaning whatsoever. Strange. This track features some really nice work on keys. The album then concludes with “We Know We Want To,” a beautiful song. “Counting out pennies/To get us anything that/Will keep us dizzy all the day.” The song’s main line is “And hold each other like we know,” and that line is repeated, like advice, like a mantra, before finishing the thought, “…we want to.” I love this song. What a wonderful way to end things.

CD Track List

1. When Everything’s Over
2. The Annabellas Of The World
3. I Am Lying
4. If You Put Me Next To Patti
5. We’re Talking About You
6. Full-Length Mirror
7. You Could’ve Just Said That
8. I’m Not Gonna Bother You
9. When I Tell You That I’m Sorry
10. We Know We Want To

You Could’ve Just Said That was released on January 31, 2025.

Brief Notes On New Jazz Releases

I’ve been avoiding the news since the election, but information keeps leaking into my world, and none of it is good. Dumb beasts seem bent on destroying whatever is still good about this country. For my own sanity, I’ve been focusing on music rather than the fascist takeover. Selfish, I admit, but necessary. If you too are turning to music for what’s left of this country’s humanity, here are some good notes on a few good jazz albums you might want to check out.

Elaine Dame: “Reminiscing” – On this album, vocalist Elaine Dame puts her own jazz spin on some well-known pop numbers from the 1970s. Sure, the music will have you reminiscing, but is also fresh enough to create new memories. The album opens with an excellent, lively rendition of “Tell Me Something Good,” a song written by Stevie Wonder and released as a single by Rufus in 1974.  Elaine Dame gives a fantastic vocal performance here, and there is some wonderful work on drums. And check out that lead on trumpet. That’s special guest Victor Garcia. The band, by the way, is made up of Chris Madsen on tenor saxophone and soprano saxophone, Tom Vaitsas on piano and organ, Sam Peters on upright bass, Jon Deitemyer on drums, and Neal Alger on guitar. Elaine follows “Tell Me Something Good” with “Use Me,” the cool Bill Withers song (one of the cool Bill Withers songs). This too features a delicious vocal performance, as well as some phenomenal work on both guitar and keys. Then we get the title track, that soft rock hit from The Little River Band. Here there is a mellow bossa nova vibe to the song, giving it a nice, romantic feel. And special guest Art Davis adds some really nice stuff on trumpet. Elaine Dame keeps things in somewhat mellow territory with “Wish You Were Here.” I’m not a fan of the post-Syd Barrett Pink Floyd material, but Elaine gives me a fresh appreciation of the song. This rendition has a very different sound and approach from the original, feeling like a late-night dance. And it features good leads on bass and saxophone. Elaine then turns to a harder rock number, “Sing Child,” which was included on Heart’s phenomenal Dreamboat Annie album. I wasn’t sure how this one would work in a jazz context, but the group keeps much of the feel of the original, and adds a totally delicious saxophone lead. Elaine turns in quite a good vocal performance, and Alyssa Allgood and Christy Bennett join her on harmony vocals for this track. And check out that drumming toward the end. Things then get mellower again with a cover of Bonnie Raitt’s “Nothing Seems To Matter,” the blues living in Elaine’s performance, and the song providing another opportunity for some good work on saxophone. That’s followed by “Midnight At The Oasis,” which is slowed just a bit here and features some excellent work on keys. Well, this album features all 1970s music, so I suppose it would be weird to not include at least once disco number. Elaine Dame chooses Donna Summer’s “Last Dance,” delivering a soulful performance, filled with yearning and need. She then wraps up the album with Pablo Cruise’s “Love Will Find A Way,” this rendition featuring some good stuff on keys, as well as a lovely saxophone lead. This album was released on February 21, 2025.

Joe Elefante: “Wheel Of Dharma” – Pianist and composer Joe Elefante has put together a new quintet, and this is the first release from the group. Joe Elefante is on piano, Freddie Hendrix is on trumpet, Erena Terakubo in on saxophone, Sameer Shankar is on bass, and Dave Heilman is on drums. The album features original material, most of it composed by Joe Elefante. It opens with “Bad Dancing,” and as the track begins, it is easy to imagine bad dancing, for it might be difficult to dance to sections of this tune. There is an interesting rhythm to this piece, one that keeps us on our toes, one that keeps us engaged. And when Joe Elefante takes that initial lead on piano, he still incorporates the piano part of that rhythm, seeming to fulfill two functions at once. It’s really something to listen to him play. This track also features a pretty wild saxophone lead. Then, interestingly, as the trumpet takes over, the feeling of the piece changes, at least for a moment, mellowing out and seeming to announce a new direction. And as the trumpet takes off, the bass and drums dig back into that rhythm. I love the drumming here, particularly toward the end. That’s followed by “Rocky,” the one track not written by Joe Elefante. It was composed by Erena Terakubo and Vincent Herring. Erena Terakubo included a different version of it on her own Little Girl Power. It has welcoming vibe, with some sweet, catchy elements. It’s easy to imagine vocals being added to this piece. As you might guess, there is a really good saxophone lead, which follows strong leads on both piano and trumpet. I appreciate the warmth and cheer of this track. “The One Who Knows” has a different vibe, but also has an appealing warmth. There is a gentle touch here. Then the piano lead has a more vibrant energy. “The Earth Is On Fire” comes on at a fast clip, the way the recent fires here in Los Angeles moved, spreading and overwhelming entire neighborhoods in very little time. This track features some especially great stuff on saxophone, but all the musicians deliver remarkable work here. The band switches gears with “Samadhi,” which builds in an interesting way, like a mantra that takes on force, feeling insistent. And it soon breaks through to another level. Check out that work on trumpet. The album then concludes with “Lion’s Eyes,” which has a cool, delightful sound and vibe right from its opening moments, due especially to Joe Elefante’s work on piano. And here we are treated to a good lead on bass. This album was released on October 25, 2024.

Michelle Nicolle & Larry Koonse: “The Silent Wish” – Australian vocalist Michelle Nicolle usually performs and records in a quartet, and this new album is her first duo recording. Here she is joined by the incredibly talented guitarist Larry Koonse. The album features mostly covers, along with one original composition.  They open with “When Your Lover Has Gone,” Michelle Nicolle delivering a captivating vocal performance right from the track’s opening moments. The ache in her voice on the lines “When you’re alone, who cares for starlit skies/When you’re alone, the magic moonlight dies” hits us with its honesty. She also offers some scat, and it is in those moments that a lighter, freer aspect enters her performance. That is followed by “I Hope I Never,” an interesting choice. This is a Split Enz song, included on that group’s 1980 album True Colors. There is a haunting aspect to this song, and Michelle and Larry give us a strong rendition. “I fall apart when you’re around.” The guitar solo in the second half is gorgeous.  Michelle and Larry include the opening stanzas in their rendition of “I’m Glad There Is You,” but it is in the main body of the song that these two really shine. Listen to the way Michelle delivers these lines: “I’ll muddle through/With you to guide me/In this world/Where many, many play at love/And hardly any stay in love/I’m glad there is you.” She makes the whole thing feel so weighty, so crucial. And it is, isn’t it? Then we get the album’s original number, “Putting It Off,” which Michelle had previously included on Keep Your Heart Right. It’s interesting how her voice and the guitar work in unison early on: “Feeling the way I do/Telling myself I must be crazy/Thinking that I’m the only one who ever had anything to lose/So find the best excuse.” She offers some cool scat on this track too. “I’m freaking myself out once again/For no apparent reason.” Another highlight is the duo’s rendition of “With A Song In My Heart,” which has a bright energy. “How can I but rejoice?” Michelle sings, and we feel that way hearing these two artists working together. And check out how she delivers a line like “Touching your hand, my heart beats the faster” in “All The Things You Are.” There is warmth, vulnerability, excitement and love all wrapped in her delivery of that line. “Only Trust Your Heart” is yet another highlight, and I love the way she adds a sense of intimacy for the song’s title line. I also love the joy to the guitar work. They wrap things up with a spellbinding rendition of “What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life?” that is absolutely wonderful. This album is scheduled to be released on March 7, 2025.

Jackson Potter: “Small Things” – Guitarist Jackson Potter’s new album (his second, following 2021’s Restless) contains a mix of covers and original material. Joining him on this one are Alex Ridout on trumpet and flugelhorn, Troy Roberts on tenor saxophone, Hamish Smith on bass, and Marcello Cardillo on drums. There are also a couple of special guests on one track. He opens the album with Toy Roberts’ “Trams,” a piece that was included on Troy’s 2017 album Tales & Tones. That earlier version featured piano, while this one obviously features guitar. It’s a cool tune, and like the earlier recording, this track contains some excellent drumming. There is also, as you’d expect, some really nice stuff on saxophone, and I love the play between sax and trumpet. But the main focus is the guitar lead in the middle, which is absolutely wonderful. Jackson Potter gets to cut loose a bit here and demonstrate his talent. That’s followed by the album’s title track, an original composition by Potter, and it is here that the two guests join the group. Sophia Formella is on vocals, and Jaleel Shaw is on alto saxophone. This one eases in, and is more about the mood, Sophia providing some beautiful work. I love the way it builds just before Jackson’s early guitar lead, something that is repeated before that gorgeous sax lead. “Mr. M” is also an original piece, featuring some nice stuff from both Alex Ridout and Troy Roberts before Jackson’s guitar lead. This track was released as the album’s first single, and there is something soothing about it. Jackson then begins his rendition of “Smoke Gets In Your Eyes” with some excellent work on guitar, touching on that familiar theme before the other musicians enter. This track has a great late-night vibe. Then check out the bass work on this rendition of “Hey, It’s Me You’re Talking To.” This is where things get fun and start to really move, the trumpet and saxophone engaged in a delightful conversation, and the drums setting the pace. “Background Noise” is a mellower number, an original composition that features some engaging guitar work, and grows in power in the second half. This album also contains good renditions of Dave Brubeck’s “The Duke” and Cole Porter’s “Everything I Love.” The album concludes with an original number, “Sophia’s Waltz,” which has sweet, lovely vibe, and features a nice lead on bass. This album was released on January 24, 2025.

James Zito: “Zito’s Jump!” – This is guitarist James Zito’s debut full-length release as band leader, and it contains a mix of original material and covers. Joining him on this album are Rodney Whitaker on bass, Joe Farnsworth on drums, Luther Allison on piano, Chris Lewis on tenor saxophone and flute, Nicholas DiMaria on trumpet, Joseph Miller on alto saxophone, Jack Kotze on trombone, and Jarien Jamanila on baritone saxophone. Georgia Heers and Tyreek McDole join the group on vocals for one track. The album opens with its title track, a fun bluesy original composition that has a bit of a 1960s vibe, and features a cool lead on piano as well as some great stuff on guitar. There is a snappy, delightful feel to this track. The music then relaxes a bit on “Bird In The Wind,” also an original composition, this one having a nice warmth about it and featuring some really good work on tenor saxophone. There is also warmth to “Island Girl,” an original tune with a bossa nova vibe that contains some beautiful work on flute and has a romantic bent. Things then take a different turn with “Time Zone,” which has some tension from the start, felt in its choppy, short strokes. The saxophone takes over, driving things forward, the guitar lead continuing the movement and creating an intensity of its own. This track also features some exciting drumming. The first cover of the album is “Ready ‘N’ Able,” which has a terrific energy, moving at a delightful pace. This is a whole lot of fun, and it features some tremendous guitar work. It is over much too soon. James Zito mellows things again with his original “Pense Nisso,” a somewhat contemplative bossa nova number that contains some wonderful stuff on piano. The energy rises then with “Minor Lies,” the disc’s final original composition, one to keep us on our toes. What a lively ride this track takes us on. Georgia Heers and Tyreek McDole deliver wonderful, tender vocal performances on “The Nearness Of You.” Just close your eyes, and let them pull you into a better world. James Zito delivers more excellent guitar work on the group’s lively rendition of “The End Of The Affair.” This disc also includes two delightful renditions of “After You’ve Gone” and a touching rendition of “It Could Happen To You,” which is presented as a guitar and organ duet. This album is scheduled to be released on April 15, 2025.

Becky Buller: “Jubilee” (2024) CD Review

Becky Buller’s most recent disc, last year’s Jubilee, is a collection of pieces that are connected by theme and meant to be listened to straight through (which, really, is the way you should listen to any album, but I won’t harangue folks about that now). This release deals with anxiety and depression, things that were exacerbated by the reality of the pandemic. The music itself, however, is not a downer. It was all written or co-written by Becky Buller, who plays fiddle and cello banjo on these tracks. Joining her are Jacob Groopman on vocals and guitar, Daniel Hardin on vocals and bass, Wes Lee on mandolin, and Ned Luberecki on banjo. Special guest Aoife O’Donovan, who co-wrote several tracks with Becky, joins her on vocals on one track.

This disc opens with “Prelude,” a pretty fiddle instrumental tune. There is an ache and a yearning heard in the playing of this short piece. And then suddenly there is a burst of joy as the other musicians join her and they go straight into “Kismet.” It’s interesting, because while the word “kismet” has a kind of playful feel in one’s mouth, the meaning is something much darker – the idea of fate, of doom, of destiny, of the course of one’s life being predetermined, which I don’t subscribe to at all. But no matter, for this music is wonderful. It does have more of the playful feel of the word than the darkness it hints at. This track features some excellent work on guitar. It then relaxes at the end, its various elements almost seeming to scatter in the winds.

“Woman” eases in with a somewhat contemplative feel. This is the first of the album’s tracks to feature vocals, with Becky singing. “I’m chasing a thread/It’s flaxen and fine/To spin me a web/Of tune and rhyme/Something that heals/Has a truth to impart/Yet never reveals/My inmost heart.” Yes, it’s a song about songwriting, but more about the songwriter herself, the “woman behind the words.” Can we separate the work from the writer, appreciate the work without giving a thought about the singer? Many of us seek a sort of healing from the music we listen to, and to a certain extent receive it. And the singers? Do they also find healing in those very songs? Becky Buller delivers a passionate and moving vocal performance here.

“Interlude” is a very short instrumental piece delivered on guitar and serving perhaps as an introduction to the album’s title track. It runs straight into that song. “I need a year of jubilee/With no one pulling back on me/I wish my mind would let me be/I need a year of jubilee.” Oh yes! This is certainly a song we can all relate to, particularly now. There is beauty to this song, as well as some catchy elements, but for me it is the song’s lyrical content that especially makes this track stand out. “I want a life of letting go/To escape the undertow.” Aoife O’ Donovan, who co-wrote this one (as well as “Interlude”) joins Becky Buller on vocals on this track. “Jubilee” is followed by “Spiral,” a gentle, kind of sweet instrumental track. The fiddle pushes forward and upward in the middle of this track, and it gently lets go at the end.

“Alone” has more intensity from the start, working to pull us in. Its first lines add to that sensation: “What’s it gonna take/To hear beyond the noise/I’m about to break/I’ve got no choice.” This is another song that many of us will relate to. And it contains a reference to Hamlet, which I appreciate. Here, Becky sings, “No rest in my waking/To sleep, perchance to dream.” The line “To sleep, perchance to dream” comes from Hamlet’s most famous soliloquy, which is about life and death, that line leading Hamlet to wonder that if death were just a long sleep, what might its dreams entail? It’s a frightening thought to Hamlet, the unknown after death, and that feeling guides us here, as she sings “It would be better if I was laid beneath a stone.” This track also features some excellent work on banjo and mandolin, and there is a fantastic jam toward the end. This is one of my personal favorites.

“Descent” is a kind of intriguing instrumental, dropping hints, and then beginning to build in power. Don’t think I’m crazy, but it has a sort of “Other One” thing happening in those moments, particularly on the fiddle. This track leads straight into “Whale.” Like “Alone,” this one looks at possible death. And in the second stanza it too begins to build in power, and it is here that she reaches a better place. As she sings, “‘Til my mind cleared just a little/And a little was enough.” Ah yes, sometimes that can be enough. This song is encouraging, and here when she mentions a dream, it has a different feel, more positive, even if there remains something of the unknown. This song seems to grab life and leap onto its back, seizes not only the moment, but life itself. It contains some great playing, and I’m particularly fond of that bass work. This is another of my personal favorites. The disc then ends with “Postlude,” which was co-written by Aoife O'Donovan. Unlike the opening track, “Prelude,” this one features vocals, and in its lyrics is the album’s title: “There came a year of jubilee.” Oh yes! Yet this song doesn’t have some wild, joyous vibe. Rather, there is a contentment, a more personal joy, a sense of optimism. And I think that’s what many of us are striving for in these difficult days. What a wonderful way to wrap things up.

CD Track List

1. Prelude
2. Kismet
3. Woman
4. Interlude
5. Jubilee
6. Spiral
7. Alone
8. Descent
9. Whale
10. Postlude

Jubilee was released on May 17, 2024, and is available on vinyl as well as CD.

Piet Dalmolen: “Time Stands Still” (2025) CD Review

You might know Piet Dalmolen as the guitarist and vocalist of Nucleus, a northern California jam band that released several albums. Time Stands Still is his first solo album, and it features all original material. In 2023, he went to Maui, and was in Lahaina during the wild fires there. It was from that trip that much of the music of Time Stands Still originated. Backing him on this album are Matt Engel on keyboards, Ian Taylor on bass guitar, and Tommy Fitzmaurice on drums.

The album opens with “Floating,” which has a rather pleasant sound and vibe right from its opening moments. The groove will likely have you smiling. This track gives the album its title in these early lines: “Seeking what is still undiscovered/Breathing through every peak and valley/Leaning into the next illusion/So I’ll wait for you/‘Til it all comes true/And it feels like time stands still.” This track mixes pop, jazz and psychedelic elements to create a wonderful sound. Toward the end Piet Dalmolen sings, “We’re in this together/Don’t forget humanity/Take care of each other,” lines that it seems at least a third of this country doesn’t understand at all, not even the least bit. There is some good guitar work toward the end as well. That’s followed by “Entropy,” which has some progressive elements. “Things begin and decay/Every day/Realize nothing lasts/It all must pass,” he sings here. There is something both positive and negative in those lines, in that idea. After all, some things we want very much to pass, and others we wish never would. I’ve been thinking about time and death a lot lately, and perhaps for that reason these lines jumped out at me. As terrible as the current fascist government is, a friend said to me recently, “We’re old, four years will pass quickly for us.” Well, either way, entropy seems to be the order of the day, and this song, I suspect, will speak to a lot of folks. Plus, it’s just a really good song. That line about things beginning and decaying reminds me a bit of a line from one of my favorite Grateful Dead songs, where Jerry Garcia sings, “The seeds that were silent all burst into bloom and decay.” This track also features an excellent bass line.

“Cosmic Joke” too has a great bass line, part of its cool, delicious groove. “Sometimes some people go crazy/And villains claim to be heroes/Sometimes it’s so dark you can’t see/So who knows.” Those are the song’s first lines, and that “So who knows” actually made me laugh out loud the first time I listened to this album, which I greatly appreciated. After all, those first three lines that precede it seem to describe our current situation pretty accurately, and so I was feeling a bit dark myself. And Piet Dalmolen quickly switched things up on me.  I appreciate not only the humor of that line, but its honesty. “Can’t take anything too seriously,” Piet sings a little later in this song. My motto, if I had one, would be something along those lines, even when things get serious. It’s a self-preservation thing, you see, as much as anything else. Who the hell wants a heart attack? Who the hell wants to let the current fascist group of nitwits be the cause of illness? This track contains some really nice work on both keys and guitar, and is one of my personal favorites. Then the instrumental track “Dropping In” has a good jazzy vibe from the start, sort of in the Brazilian realm, at least as it begins. This is another tune that feels designed to raise our spirits, for there is something pleasant about its sound, and also something that urges our bodies to dance. It slows down toward the end, entering into a more contemplative area, a more inquisitive, curious space.

“Life is what you make of what you see/Meaning we all create endlessly,” Piet sings at the beginning of “Being.” It’s true. We are all improvising here, in part because none of us really knows what the hell is going on. Be wary of anyone who claims to have the answers, for that person is surely full of shit. “The center holds/When everything else seems to spin out of control.” There is an undeniably catchy element to this track, and it features some cool stuff on keys. In the second half, it enters mellower territory during that instrumental section, which has a soothing effect and features some nice guitar work. That’s followed by “Falling Together,” which has another good, laid-back groove. The lyrics of this song also mention time. While on the first track Piet mentioned how it feels like time stands still, or at least he is waiting for time to feel that way, here he sings, “Time waits for no one/And it’s ticking away.” In fact, those are the song’s opening lines. Time is tricky, and seems to be based, at least partially, on our perceptions, so it makes complete sense to have two different experiences of time. For me, this second way of looking at it, of experiencing it, rings especially true. “Easy, can’t control it/Maybe it’s okay.

There is a somber feel to “Lahaina” from the start, like a darkness creeping in, something that must be dealt with, even as we feel like we are drifting into a dream. The landscape seems not quite real, altered in some way. Perhaps we can ease our way through, on that dream wind, and remain unscathed, for there is a beauty to this instrumental track. And I love the way it builds. The ending seems to come rather abruptly. Then “Shark Pit” comes on with a great surf rock and roll energy. This too is an instrumental number, and is a fun one to wrap things up. This track includes some excellent stuff on guitar, and there is even a short drum solo near the end. Yup, this album leaves us feeling good.

CD Track List

1. Floating
2. Entropy
3. Cosmic Joke
4. Dropping In
5. Being
6. Falling Together
7. Lahaina
8. Shark Pit

Time Stands Still was released on January 17, 2025.