Riffing without finishing the phrase of what sounds like the melody of Stephen Foster's 'Camptown Races' recordings of which date back to 1911 but the song is much older harking back to the exploitation era of minstrelsy on opener 'Open the Gates' interspersed with spoken word poetry from Camae Ayewa aka Moor Mother that's quite a juxtaposition from the 5-piece US spiritual jazz ensemble Irreversible Entanglements. Arty with a street beat defiance to melt away the thought of such traumatic history is what they're about as the record gets going and highly political religiosity is also intrinsic to their style. A triggered riff changes the goalposts entirely on 'Keys to Creation' opening into moody Harmon-muted trumpet from Aquiles Navarro. And, in a bolt from the blue, it's Tcheser Holmes raining down with detailed drum work and then the increasingly seer-like Ayewa drawing us into her confidences. 'Lágrimas Del Mar' is like Atlantic period Ornette sax and trumpet riffing off each other underpinned by bassist Luke Stewart who takes it up-tempo with considerable ease. The jousting between saxist Keir Neuringer and Navarro is a big highlight. 'Storm Came Twice' may be doom laden but what a wonderful opening it contains and we're into deep free-jazz territory for the first time. The anarchy is certainly appealing here when the band undo the fastenings as it were and the poetry from Ayewa which is perfect lets rip and provides the manual to free our minds. 'Water Meditation' opens with solo trumpet but it's again the poetry that grabs you by the heart strings most because it's moving. Love and revolution are the key sentiments of the whole album chased down by an almost Baptist sense of radical revival, shuddering heavy religion and apocalyptic prophesy all in one primed like a timebomb. 'Six Sounds' is a mini-masterpiece. A fantastic achievement and one of the albums of the year it's instantly clear. Stephen Graham
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