- Dennis Ayler's debut, a seven-inch on Tenderlonious's 22a label, was an angelic slice of modern jazz and soul. Listening to a song like "Ms Chambers," you got a sense of the spaces the record would sound good in—cramped candlelit bars, or high-rise apartments where you can see the skyline blink at night. No Comment shares its predecessor's nocturnal glow, but Ayler's scope widens slightly. The bright and spacious "No Comment" explores a Detroit house sound; resonant keys squelch over the aviary sounds of "Birdss," a more engaging ambient piece than the layered tones of "Smoke (Part II)."
The A-side has its charms, but No Comment has more to say elsewhere. As "Birdss" shows, Ayler's music thrives in short, improvisational bursts. "Baby YhYh" unfolds with a hushed call-and-response—"baby" / "yeah, yeah"—and a sliding synth tone. Noodling over this loop with gentle keys, Ayler makes good on the intimacy the vocal promises. "Friday Night"'s Roger Troutman-style funk has a casual air. On the snappy "Power Moves (Tender Re-Fix)," he makes a better fist of house, spicing it with a more authentic Detroit flavour than the slightly bland "No Comment." Ayler's songs seem like the work of an old hand. "Birdss" and "Friday Night," for example, have the sort of carefree spirit you'd hear in a decades-old jazz ensemble. Ayler's dance tracks are cut from a similar cloth, but as cosy as they are, you might yearn for something more.
TracklistA1 No Comment
A2 Smoke (Part II)
A3 Birdss
B1 Power Moves (Tender Re-Fix)
B2 Baby YhYh
B3 Friday Night