The Signal Quartet: Approaching

Signal Quartet is not afraid to get messy. You cannot make a musical omelette without cracking some eggs. Approaching has some cracked eggs along the way, but it contains some delicious moments.

The band features traditional jazz instrumentation—guitar, trumpet, bass and drums—but something makes it seem progressive. Each musician shows impressive mastery of their instrument. Ben Wolkins plays trumpet and flugelhorn with full-bodied warmth and dexterity. On guitar, Ian Blunden bounces between distortion and clean while seeming equally comfortable taking the lead or supporting the rest of the band. Eric Nachtrab plays bass with great touch and flair. Sean Perlmutter provides great energy with his drumming and ties it all together. Each member handles their instrument extremely well. The music really cooks when they work off each other. Some of the songs have an experimental vibe which might lose some listeners.

Based in Detroit, the group has traveled extensively in the Midwest states. All four band members compose for the group. Signal Quartet works best when they create a sense of momentum, which they frequently do—many of this album's songs crackle with energy. Even the laid-back tunes possess momentum.

"For a Croc" is driven by crunchy guitar rhythms accented with clean trumpet lines active drums and bass creating strong momentum. As the song moves forward, the trumpet seems casual even loose but never loses direction.

The album starts with "Show Me Something Beautiful," which takes a long time to find a groove. "Yes, I Can Hear You," is a beautiful song with a laid-back groove with plenty of warm trumpet sounds. The third song resolves the tension of the first two songs. If the group wanted to play it safe, they could have stuck with this style for the entire album.

The guitar and the bass stretch out adeptly on a lovely song called "After the Match." The trumpet leads the way on a reflective tune "Ember." "The Less You Know" wanders but keeps the energy high. "A Visit from the Goon Squad" sounds like it lost the narrative and will leave all but the most adventurous listeners behind.

At its best, Approaching is beautiful and stirring. If the band continues to explore, they will create a great deal of great music. Things might get messy from time to time, but that is where the good stuff lives.

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