Genre-hopping easily and happily, best known for his tenure as Norah Jones side man and guitarist. Adam Levy's second solo album offers a host of pleasures amidst its quiet sophistication. Broadly based on on a bluesy-jazz sound - late night lounge music with soul - this band are plenty capable of rocking out in a Silos-like manner or of producing the lightness of touch that makes a sweet pop song out of the album closer, 'Never Been Alone Like This'.
They're one of those bands (Adam Levy on guitar, Andy Hess on bass, Tony Mason on drums) that have the knack of making music that seems uncontrived, as if they are merely the means by which music already in the atmosphere might be heard. The arrangements are deceptively simple - a rhythm overlain with some laid-back, almost off-hand, guitar work - but the magic is in the gaps and silences where the listener's imagination has the space to hear the undercurrents in the musical cvonversation.
Augmenting this easy skill is Adam Levy's singing, which is quite splendidly varied - warm, bluesy, sly and soulful by turns. Rough enough for rock, warm enough for jazz, his voice is the exemplar of the extra instrument that adds so much to a band's sound. I favour the faster and louder tracks myself, having never been much of a jazz fan, but I can appreciate the skills he brings to each change of mood.
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There's a broad palette on 'Washing Day': 'I Put A Spell On You' (not the old familiar song of that title) is slow late night lounge jazz; 'Longest Day Of The Year', co-written with Jen Clapp, is in the style of Neil Young at his most disarmingly straightforward, there are shades of Wilco in their quieter moments from time to time whilst the real ear-worm of the album, 'I Can Promise You That' - well, I can't give you a comparative for that but, trust me, it'll drive you to distraction trying to work out where you'vr heard it before. In fact, there are enough snippets amongst these songs to suggest Adam Lewvy has a list of influences from here to next week and he's quite happy to tease us with them. The references to The Searchers' 'Needles And Pins' on 'Never Been Alone Like This' are testament enough to that.
Excellent stuff all round, then, slow to reveal all its treasures and one of those growers capable of becoming a firm favourite.
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