- 13 years ago, Mathew Jonson, Danuel Tate and Tyger Dhula released their first record as Cobblestone Jazz on Itiswhatitis. Jonson wound up buying the label recently, and Northern Lights finds the group return to it after releasing almost exclusively on Wagon Repair (another Jonson enterprise) in the meantime.
"Northern Lights" pulls the impressive trick of evoking the vivid colour suggested by its title while also being a masterclass in subtlety and restraint. Its leading feature—a sinewy whoosh of high keys—slips under, over and around a gentle, evolving background of bass, kicks, clicks and pads. It oozes the instinctive confidence of musicians who have worked together for a long time, and even at 11 minutes long it never gets close to outstaying its welcome. "Drawn From The Side Of Crime" is the package's junior partner, but its loungey, plinking shuffle has its charms, and in its periodic guitar strums it has moments of prettiness to rival those of the opener.
TracklistA1 Track 1
B1 Track 2