Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Album review: Moosehound’s Telepathy Pageant

By Sarah Crisman of My Denton Music

Ever wonder what it would sound like if Snarky Puppy fell into an arcade Tron-style? Now I've put that thought in your mind, you have Moosehound's Telepathy Pageant to quell that burning curiosity.

So here's the scoop: three of the cats on this album have been, or still remain, Snarky Pups, and the influence is apparent. It's a good starting point, because I liked it right away. I had to see them live to properly understand what sets them apart, and I'm really glad I did, because I would have otherwise overlooked Phil Aelony's trippy shoe gazing. He's one of those musicians that unassumingly demand your attention. That's what really brings Telepathy Pageant to a dimension beyond favorable familiarity and into a sort of space jazz scenario.

Experimental jazz in album form can get glossy on occasion and not properly capture the energy a live performance offers, and I was slightly concerned that might happen with this album. Not many bands can create a comparable experience in both mediums. Since they threw in odd frequencies and robot-friendly movements, I can totally dig the studio work and the live shows on equal levels. These guys know their way around charts, they know what sounds good and why, and they aren't afraid to play with that knowledge to create something new. Check it out if you're into Pink Floyd's Echoes, Victor Wooten, or Snarky Puppy. Moosehound is great party music (especially if you're entertaining jazz musicians), and the live show is certain to provoke some mind-altering dance moves. It's just ambient enough to make you feel a little buzz just from listening.

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