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Ventifacts — Ventifacts
(Bandcamp no#, 2021, CD / DL)

by Jon Davis, Published 2022-03-14

Ventifacts Cover art

This collaboration between the primary songwriters of Jack o’ the Clock and The Mercury Tree ends up sounding almost exactly like what you’d expect if you’re familiar with both bands. Jack o’ the Clock’s Damon Waitkus brings his acoustic instruments (hammer dulcimer, guzheng, psaltery, various kinds of guitar) and The Mercury Tree’s Ben Spees has his keyboards and electric guitars, not to mention his expertise in using non-standard scales featuring 10, 17, and 24 tones to the octave. The overall songwriting style most takes after Waitkus, but could be regarded as either a microtonal Jack o’ the Clock or a more acoustic Mercury Tree. In any case, fans of both bands will likely enjoy this fascinating music, and those used to microtones should have no problems with it. As usual, some listeners might find that it often sounds like “normal” music that’s out of tune, but in my experience, it’s something you get used to after more exposure. The pair are joined by Connor Reilly (drums) and Oliver Campbell (bass) from The Mercury Tree, plus Emily Packard (violin) of Jack o’ the Clock to fill out the sound. While both Waitkus and Spees sing, the former is responsible for most of the lyrics, and his voice dominates the lead parts, with his unconventional melodies and intriguing words. The moods range from floating and thoughtful to more aggressive and energetic, though nothing approaches heavy in a way that The Mercury Tree is known for. Every track has something to offer, and is more than just a curiosity in the realm of modern music. If the intonation throws you off at first, I urge you to give it time — while there are reasons that the European system of 12 even-tempered tones per octave has become the norm, it’s far from the only way of organizing frequencies. I should also mention that the CD version of this release comes in very creative packaging, with a wax-sealed envelope and an oversized booklet with lyrics.

Filed under: New releases, 2021 releases

Related artist(s): The Mercury Tree, Jack o' the Clock, Ventifacts

More info
http://https://ventifacts.bandcamp.com/album/ventifacts

 

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