“Clever-clever jazz influenced cheery indie pop music”.
Should all those words ever be contained in the same sentence? Not according to the rules of the Universe. The same applies to “Czechoslovakian jazz influenced Eastern European Pop”. Shudder. But like most rules, they exist to be broken sometimes.
Oxford-based JOFF WINKS BAND have bravely challenged these rules, by combining the chin-stroking jazziness of Steely Dan (and I don’t care what anyone says, ‘Reeling in the Years’ is still one of the best songs of all time), with prog rock, splashes of acid jazz, and a genuine pop sensibility. i.e. their music is clever but accessible, relaxing not wanky, interesting and surprisingly catchy, not boring and OTT.
Sophisticated smooth bass lines underpin flowing chilled out electric piano and mildly schizophrenical guitar playing. The convoluted musical arrangements have an experimental vibe reminiscent of Joni Mitchel’s “Hissing of the Summer Lawns” era. But there are times when their music wanders into the realm of Frank Zappa (a sedated Zappa at least), with the weird zigzagging of melodies and occasional atonal clashing. We’re even treated to a Brad Mehldau-influenced piano arrangement which is quite a beautiful. I hear it, and I say “nice” as I stroke my chin and nod solemnly.
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To date, the Joff Winks Band have played with the new wave of off-the-wall artists such as Regina Spektor, Ray LaMontagne (ok, not so off-the-wall), and The Earlies, and they sit very nicely alongside such performers.
Other bands, notably Field Music, have tried to capture the experimental ambience by breaking away from the current rock cliché’s (a-la Snow Patrol/Coldplay/The Killers, ad nauseum), but Joff Winks & Co have coined this particular sound more so than their contemporaries.
“Songs for Days” is a classy, ambient and beautifully crafted album, perfect for listening to on a summers day with a chilled glass of Chablis. Chin strokers of the world unite...
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