Graves

Easy Not Easy

(HUSH)

Record Review by Marcel Feldmar

Laid back pop grooves that fall sometimes slightly into cool lounge jazz but always with something extra. A little quirk, a little mystery, a little underground slap on the face of mainstream convention. Lo-fi sounds pushing towards smoothness. Off beat piano plinks, courtesy of Norfolk and Western’s Cory Gray, splash against quiet bass rhythms and steady back beat drums, while Greg Olin rolls over it all with a soft, almost sexy, vocal style. It’s almost sad rainy weather music, but somehow the delivery and lyrics make it a little more sunshine touched, even if the subject matter is still heartbreaking and dark. It’s music to listen to while watching the sun set on the California coastline after a day of doing nothing at all. I hear touches of other bands – some are understandable – like Lambchop, but stripped down and less dynamic, or Vic Chesnutt, but more straightforward. Then there’s something on some of the songs that makes me think of Massive Attack – if they were a folk band, and played a little lighter with less keyboards. Something about the movement within the beat, I think. Hints of so many styles float around, too, but it all moves together to create a soft lush jazz pop album with quiet flourishes and dreamy tones. Halfway through the CD we hit “Lincoln Continental,” which immediately transports me back to days of listening to Nick Drake, perhaps as reinterpreted by a strange merger between Karate and Tortoise. But now I think I’m getting a little strange and obscure in my constant search for musical references. Let’s just say this is good stuff. Country folk lounge jazz built with love for the sad city dwellers.