NAKED TRUTH — Shizaru (review)

NAKED TRUTH — Shizaru album cover Album · 2011 · Eclectic Fusion Buy this album from MMA partners
4/5 ·
js
This album stands a chance of blowing up really big in the world of jazzy psychedelic rock/groove music, it has a lot of the musical elements that people are looking for these days, plus some well-known group members and a big solid production that lets you know these guys aren’t new to this. On “Shizaru”, Naked Truth combines the dark dub/ambient grooves of Bill Laswell with some "Agharta" flavored cosmic trumpet jams, some modern open-stringed post-rock guitar and a huge wall of sound that recalls the big sound of rock bands like King Crimson. The overall atmosphere on here is definitely on the dark ambient side of things, which puts them in line for a lot of attention as that sort of sound has been growing in popularity lately. Likewise, the recent increased interest in Miles’ mid-70s psychedelic music works in Naked Truth’s favor as trumpeter Cuong Vu’s dry soft tone floating on top of a spacey hip-hop beat backed by droning guitars and electronics will definitely make many think of Miles albums like “Pangea” and “Agharta”.

Although at first one might get the impression that this is just a jam session, there are actually a lot of nice composed moments that mix in quite unobtrusively including some very interesting abstract melodies on the trumpet and string-synth keyboards that recall 20th century expressionist composers. All through the album the band members change up the texture and keep things interesting in ways that may not hit you at first. After many listens this album still has some surprises which is unusual in the world of modern jam music.

If there is a main fault with this album, it is that sometimes the dark tone can get a little dreary and predictable, also a few more chord progressions here and there would also add some interest. Still, “Shizaru” is far more imaginative and inventive than your average plug-in and play psychedelic jam
Share this review
more

Review Comments

Post a public comment below | Send private message to the reviewer
Please login to post a shout
No shouts posted yet. Be the first member to do so above!

Review Index

Member Zone

Username:
Password:
Stay signed in

Jazz Subgenres

Artists Alpha-index

JMA TOP 5 Jazz ALBUMS

Rating by members, ranked by custom algorithm
Albums with 30 ratings and more
A Love Supreme Post Bop
JOHN COLTRANE
Buy this album from our partners
Kind of Blue Cool Jazz
MILES DAVIS
Buy this album from our partners
The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady Progressive Big Band
CHARLES MINGUS
Buy this album from our partners
Blue Train Hard Bop
JOHN COLTRANE
Buy this album from our partners
My Favorite Things Hard Bop
JOHN COLTRANE
Buy this album from our partners

New Jazz Artists

New Jazz Releases

Green Puma / Tropical Dandy Jazz Related Rock
THE LINK QUARTET
Buy this album from MMA partners
Vinny Golia Quintet : Can You Outrun Them? 21st Century Modern
VINNY GOLIA
Buy this album from MMA partners
Bow Code Fusion
SAMPO HIUKKANEN
Buy this album from MMA partners
Anthem For No Man’s Land Jazz Related Improv/Composition
ANDREAS SCHAERER
Buy this album from MMA partners
Cabaret Eclectic Fusion
MARIUS NESET
Buy this album from MMA partners
More new releases

New Jazz Online Videos

Paper Plane Pilot
MIKE DE SOUZA
js· 7 hours ago
Green Puma
THE LINK QUARTET
js· 7 hours ago
Heavy Cream
SAMPO HIUKKANEN
js· 9 hours ago
Sunday afternoon
FURIO DI CASTRI
snobb· 22 hours ago
Harmônicos
FABIANO DO NASCIMENTO
js· 1 day ago
More videos

New JMA Jazz Forum Topics

More in the forums

New Site interactions

More...

Latest Jazz News

members-submitted

More in the forums

Social Media

Follow us
Follow us on Twitter Become a Facebook fan RSS Feed