William Carn's Choices: The Unburdening

The Covid pandemic allowed Canadian trombonist William Carn to push toward electronics, to move in the direction of going remote with his fellow players for the process of putting a set of sounds together. His debut album, 2023's self-produced Choices (review here) started the process. He doubles down (a much-heard phrase in the 2020s, thanks to a certain politician) on the do-it- at-home mode for his second recording, The Unburdening. The previously mentioned politician's 'double down' means doing something cruel and/or stupid, learn nothing from it, then do something meaner and stupider, with more gusto. Carn's double down is his embrace of life affirmation. He succeeds marvelously as he steps deeper into his way of making albums, with stratospheric success.

With the Unburdening, Carn explores the negatives and positives of the human condition, beginning with "No Peace," a brief, otherworldly soundscape, a trip through the heart of a luminescent nebula. It ends with "Peace Be," featuring an electro-choir of angels (some angels may be authentic, others may be androids). Then the angels float down from the steeple loft and Gabriel's horn—several Gabriels' horns—play over the background bass that serves as the pulse of the universe. It is a soothing church feeling, a church on Neptune or one of Saturn's moons (do the Titans have religion?) that wraps up with vocalist Selena Evangeline's uplifting, straightforward prayer.

Between the opener and the closer, we have a terrific sound. It is a mix of Joe Zawinul's, early Weather Report with its Miroslav Vitous influence, Jon Hassell's soundscaping along with late-1950s/early-1960s space age exotica.

"The Unbearable" is ominous, opening with a cry that sounds like it is coming from the throat of a malevolent alien presence hiding in the spaceship's bowels, threatening to break free. "The Id" marches forward, chest thrust out. Carn tries to blow down the walls with his horn. "Ascension" follows Herbie Hancock's fusion path—bright and lively. "Brother" is placid at first before it gains momentum and strength.

Despite the remote aspect of The Unburdening, the album avoids a patched together vibe. It plays out as a cohesive artistic statement, a vibrant space-age direction that William Carn does so well.

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