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Will Bernard: Pond Life
ByWith trio alone, Pond Life would be an exceptional outing and four of the ten tracks are just that. Bernard, Lightcap, and Smith lay down lubricious and funky blues with tracks like "Surds" and drop heavy ordinance on "Motoozm' with both the guitarist and bassist employing pedals and effects with their instruments. Smith utilizes his brushes on "Lake Of Greater Remnants" to draw a landscape for Bernard's acoustic guitar and Lightcap's firm acoustic bounce.
Adding Medeski's Hammond B3 to "Poor Man's Speedball" ups the fat content of the album, as does his piano exploration "Type A." With the inclusion of the saxophone, the music veers towards Tim Berne land. The title track resembles the urgency we might expect from Berne's Bloodcount or Science Friction. When the trio becomes a quintet, as on "Still Drinkin'?" Bernard ups the ante. The tracks suggests a punk/surf Batman theme with its spacey effects and sprint into turbulence. Only one other track, "Four Is More," features all five musicians. Its engaging complexity and interplay inclines listeners to ask for more from the next outing.
Track Listing
Poor Man’s Speedball; Type A; Surds; Still Drinkin’?; Pond Life; Four Is More; Moving Target; That Day; Motooz; Lake Of Greater Remnants.
Personnel
Will Bernard
guitarChes Smith
drumsChris Lightcap
bassTim Berne
saxophone, altoJohn Medeski
organ, Hammond B3Album information
Title: Pond Life | Year Released: 2022 | Record Label: Dreck to Disk Records
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Album Review
Mark Corroto
Fully Altered Media
Pond Life
Dreck to Disk Records
Will Bernard
Ches Smith
Chris Lightcap
John Medeski
Tim Berne