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Kinsmen And Strangers: Faustian Pact
ByFor adventurous listeners, that energy never gets old.
Kinsmen And Strangers is the trio of saxophonist Jon Crompton, electric guitarist James Wengrow, and drummer Mike Alfieri. Their inaugural release bares its teeth with a vociferous thrust of aggressive music wrapped within some very taut compositions. "Turn up The Noise" spins an imaginary radio dial, shifting time signatures and moods throughout. Their kung-fu drunken master style is anything but impaired. You sense the trio is heading off the rails, but no, they've executed a perfect landing. Same for "FDJT /FDNC," which skitters under the halting pulse of Alfieri before it is twisted around (and around) Wengrow's guitar and Crompton's flash-fry saxophone. The saxophonist's sonic equivalent might be Chicago's Nick Mazzarella.
With Wengrow and Mike Alfieri creating a phantasmal background, Crompton skates dreamlike figures on "Post-Then [Now]." The piece which lasts just six minutes, could easily have been drawn-out into 30-minutes of spellbinding sound. But then there's the terrifying attack of "Eureka, God Aliens!" which is part-Godzilla and part-E.T. (Note: both movie monsters were kind to children). Such is evidenced by the almost (I said "almost") chamber-like sounds of "Wagnerisch." The composition presents itself like a soundtrack to an Alfred Hitchcock film, where the pacific sounds foreshadow a coming storm. And what a storm these children, no grandchildren, of Coleman deliver.
Track Listing
Faustian Pact; Gonzo Hero; Post-Then [Now]; Eureka, God Aliens!; Wagnerisch; Turn up Your Noise; FDJT / FDNC.
Personnel
Jon Crompton: alto saxophone; James Wengrow: guitar; Mike Alfieri: drums.
Album information
Title: Faustian Pact | Year Released: 2018 | Record Label: Self Produced
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