For many, Chilly Gonzales came into their consciousness with the release of Daft Punk’s Random Access Memories or perhaps a little earlier with a 2010 Apple commercial. The fact is, this Canadian piano powerhouse has been around for a long time, collaborating with artists ranging from Feist to the Berlin based, puppet hip-hop outfit Puppetmastaz, and has released a plethora of albums as part of his flourishing solo career.
Now that we can push his history aside we can focus on his latest release, Chambers, which is every bit classical as it is contemporary. After one listen you’ll find his influences (spanning a broad musical timeline) are apparent while also residing in an understated space—embraced but not flaunted. And while the music might come across as only fit for the classically minded, there’s such a modern air present throughout the listening experience that it can communicate to anyone who appreciates music as a whole.
Simply put, the recordings are magnificent. While the mixing and mastering is top notch, it’s the subtle atmospheric imperfections that allow the recordings to translate the emotions placed in every note played (by Gonzales and otherwise). You’ll notice the clicking of keys as hammers strike inside the piano and the minute timing differences between the accompanying string players whose bow strokes inject a breathy beauty into the songs. Never once do the instrumentalists sound passionless or indifferent to their contributions. It’s reminiscent of a bluegrass session, everyone knows their role and they bring a comfort and precision with a personal touch to every one of their notes.
The track Advantage Points—also the album single—best summarizes this album as a complete entity. It’s playful while knowing when to pull back; the openness is astounding. It’s pacing is a rush while providing the rests you need to keep up. Similarly, there are shorter pieces sprinkled throughout the album that act as quick asides to help keep up the pace where instrumental (in this case mostly instrumental) albums could start to drag.
That being said, I found myself on a few occasions wishing some pieces be lengthened and further explored. With the longest piece coming in at around five and a half minutes, a lengthening could have allowed the already complex phrases to evolve even further without sacrificing the attention holding powers of brevity.
Also puzzling is the inclusion of the concluding song, Myth Me. It features the only vocal performance on the album and while pretty in its own right, it doesn’t quite fit in with the aesthetic built up through the journey before it. In fact, the piece that precedes it is so full of life and vibrancy that it’s baffling Gonzales wouldn’t choose to place it as the finale. I suppose one could make an argument that Myth Me is an epilogue of sorts, but it’s not quite familiar enough to get that job done properly.
Chambers is an album that breeds reflection with beautifully technical pieces, moving more towards a traditional sensibility than where a lot of contemporary composers are going. The brief nature of the songs does detract from certain moments where I was left wanting more but I suppose that’s why we can listen to albums more than once. At times it’s dated and others leaping ahead, and what comes out is what makes Chambers a solid release for audiences craving that sweet, sweet middle ground: an album that is strikingly “now.”
-Steve Knapp
Score: 3.6/5
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