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Rubber Tea — From a Fading World
(Tonzonen TON156, 2023, CD / LP / DL)

by Jon Davis, Published 2024-08-27

From a Fading World Cover art

It is one of the cardinal rules of music that instruments are just tools, the means we use to create art, and the instruments themselves are neutral in regards to artistic value. Many people like to joke that certain instruments are inherently inferior — typical examples include bagpipes, banjos, accordions, and even viola — but these attitudes say more about the people putting them forth than they do about the instruments themselves. Saxophones are certainly instruments that can be used for good or evil. Many a decent song has been ruined by a sappy sax part, but on the other hand, some of the world’s best music has involved saxes. Rubber Tea is a German band that features saxophones prominently in their music, which operates in a lovely intermediate area between progressive rock and electric jazz. The five-piece features Vanessa Gross on saxes, flute, and vocals; Lennart Hinz on keyboards, guitar, and vocals; David Erzmann plays bass; Jonas Roustai is the main guitarist; and Henri Pink plays drums. The compositions are by Hinz and Erzmann, and on From a Fading World, the group is augmented by a number of guests on extra woodwinds, brass, and strings here and there. To be clear, this is most decidedly not a case where the sax ruins anything, as Gross is a tasteful player; she can bring an edge to her parts without getting outright squawky, and she carries the melodies nicely. Her flute and vocals are excellent as well. Hinz also takes some of the lead vocals with a pleasant voice, and his keyboard work is stellar. While the band excels at elaborately arranged pieces with a gentle beauty, there is also “Superhexacatalyst,” an outstanding piece full of intense energy, unexpected time signature changes, and wonderful off-kilter riffs. Rubber Tea’s debut album, Infusion, came out in 2020, and while it’s a fine recording, they’ve really stepped up their artistic game with From a Fading World. Let’s call it a Sophomore Bump. In any case I recommend it highly, and it should appeal to fans of melodic music as well as those who favor darker, denser sounds.

Filed under: New releases, 2023 releases

Related artist(s): Rubber Tea

More info
http://rubbertea.bandcamp.com/album/from-a-fading-world

 

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