It's only been six months since Badge Époque Ensemble dropped their self-titled debut, but if their new three-track EP is any indication, they haven't lost their groove.
Nature, Man & Woman is just three minutes shorter than its predecessor, but it seems to move at a much faster pace. This time around, Max "Twig" Turnbull and his company of Toronto mainstays stick to their driving combo of funk, soul-jazz and psychedelia, eschewing their first album's occasional post-rock digressions.
Which isn't to say they lack a touch for the atmospheric. Centring on Alia O'Brien's multi-tracked flute and a deliberate beat from percussionist Ed Squires and drummer Jay Anderson, "Nature, Man & Woman" is an immersive trip in the spirit of Alice Coltrane.
On the whole, though, the quintet sticks to a leaner sound that calls back to the likes of Herbie Mann and Bobbi Humphrey. Their retromania doesn't feel affected, like they're strip-mining the early '70s for veins of kitsch. Instead, they seem intent on investing old genres with new energy. "Badge Theme" crackles for its entire 14-minute runtime, while "Zealous Child" turns nimbly on multiple tempo changes and a breezy vocal from Dorothea Paas.
Two releases in, Badge Époque Ensemble show no signs of slowing down. With any luck, 2020 will be just as fruitful for them.
(Telephone Explosion)Nature, Man & Woman is just three minutes shorter than its predecessor, but it seems to move at a much faster pace. This time around, Max "Twig" Turnbull and his company of Toronto mainstays stick to their driving combo of funk, soul-jazz and psychedelia, eschewing their first album's occasional post-rock digressions.
Which isn't to say they lack a touch for the atmospheric. Centring on Alia O'Brien's multi-tracked flute and a deliberate beat from percussionist Ed Squires and drummer Jay Anderson, "Nature, Man & Woman" is an immersive trip in the spirit of Alice Coltrane.
On the whole, though, the quintet sticks to a leaner sound that calls back to the likes of Herbie Mann and Bobbi Humphrey. Their retromania doesn't feel affected, like they're strip-mining the early '70s for veins of kitsch. Instead, they seem intent on investing old genres with new energy. "Badge Theme" crackles for its entire 14-minute runtime, while "Zealous Child" turns nimbly on multiple tempo changes and a breezy vocal from Dorothea Paas.
Two releases in, Badge Époque Ensemble show no signs of slowing down. With any luck, 2020 will be just as fruitful for them.
