Sebastian Rochford: Finding Ways

Finding Ways is the first chapter in a major project for British drummer and composer Sebastian Rochford. He is one of the most versatile drummers working today, as evidenced by his work with his band Polar Bear and collaborations with major artists as diverse as David Byrne, Herbie Hancock, Adele, Kit Downes and Brian Eno.

This album focuses on the guitar. It features eight guitarists in various combinations, all mixed by Tchad Blake and anchored by Rochford's drums, with bassist Anders Christensen appearing on all but one track. Rochford explains: "I wanted to explore raw, effectless guitar with this new music, playing with new musicians and also pulling together some of the incredible musicians I make music with in different settings."

This is some distance from a standard jazz guitar album. The sound is predominantly rock-based, raw, bold, emotional and jagged. The opener, "Maybe," features three guitarists; improvisational specialists Tara Cunningham and Matt Hurley together with David Preston, best known for his Purple / Black albums. Together, they create a repeating rhythmic riff which eventually fragments as they take their guitars in divergent directions.

The album title Finding Ways is inspired by Rochford discovering the means to meet the challenges that life throws up and ways to keep positive in the face of adversity. "Who's Your Person," with its bright opening and splintered textures, concerns his grandfather who found ways to survive his experience as a Japanese POW.

There is something akin to a Lou Reed influence in the assertive guitar textures of "Keeping The Love Alive Again." The track again features Cunningham, this time alongside guitarist Simon Tong (The Verve), with Ruth Goller joining on bass. On "Ashley," with Leo Abrahams taking up guitar duties, Rochford unleashes a furious driving rhythm as the band powers toward a wall of sound.

Away from the barbed guitars, Rochford shows his more melodic side on "What You Hold In Your Heart." The repeating guitar riff and melodic textures create a hypnotic, drifting groove. Likewise, "Don't Know Where It's All Leading To," featuring Adrian Utley (Portishead) on guitar and John Parish (PJ Harvey) on lap steel, builds an overlapping and soothing blend of quiet textures. Some album formats also include a bonus track, featuring eight minutes more of the melodic side of Rochford.

The album builds a distinctive pedal-less sound, weaving craggy riffs and spiky guitar improvisations over Rochford's rhythmic gamut- -ranging from powerhouse drumming to thoughtful restraint. There is a probing emotional edge to many of the pieces as Rochford once again proves himself a singular, pioneering talent.

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