The blend of styles that were present on the one-sheet for Fisher made me more curious about how ey would eventually sound, and if it was a possibility that ey could unite all the styles without the resulting music sounding like a Frankenstein’s monster. However, all of my fears were assuaged by the time that “Song For Joel†kicked in. The horns of the track are fun, while the backing instrumentation create a musical soundscape that provide the perfect counterpoint to the brass.
The choral / “heavenly†sound that is present during “Cheurbim Seraphim†provide a way for listeners’ palettes to be cleansed, while providing a quite different experience than was present during “Song For Joelâ€. By the time that “Hello Goodbye†starts, individuals have little idea what genres will be broached and where Shaun Fisher will come from next. The same atmosphere that made Fear Factory’s “Resurrection†such a memorable track is converted by Fisher for his own use during “Hello Goodbyeâ€. After this intense instrumental opening, a tribal set of drums (bongos) provide a percussion that is a base line for the rest of the track. “Minutes to Midnight†has a more dreamy style to it, one that furthers the sound created by Fisher on earlier tracks but also slows down what was previously present. The same high quality is present, but the track does best in slightly changing individuals’ expectations for the disc. While the track is still couched into a Caribbean meets jazz type of approach, “Here Comes The Sun†seems to go to the Middle East for some of its influence.
The cosmopolitan and easily-accepting nature of “Body & Soul†will make the compositions on the disc very easy for individuals to appreciate, and the sheer number of styles makes it unlikely that individuals will not be able to find something that they like. The great thing about “Body & Soul†is that tracks have a pretty much equal distribution of having vocals and being instrumental. This is yet another tactic used that breaks up the tedium that may be present otherwise. Shaun Fisher creates a solid album in “Body & Soul†that individuals can place on their player and zone out to for over a half-hour. A number of follow-up albums could be released in the next decade without Fisher losing a step or running out of material. If you want some chillax-worthy music, “Body & Soul†is just that.
Top Tracks: Mama Africa, Love Cries
Rating: 6.6/10
Shaun Fisher – Body & Soul / 2006 Goin Native, Inc / 12 Tracks / http://www.goinnative.com / Reviewed 17 April 2007
[JMcQ]