Stuart McCallum - 'Distilled'
Stuart McCallum, better known as the Mancunian guitarist with trip-hoppers Cinematic Orchestra, has returned with his third solo album 'Distilled'; aptly named as it sees the artist self-sample previous compositions to form the essential ingredients of a sonic soup that also includes DJ-programming, digitised effects and the skilful instrumentation of a carefully selected sextet.
'dR Doctor' sets the standard for the record with its freeform languid chill produced by a careful orchestration of jazz-pop percussion, ambient guitar and incremental instrumentation in the form of understated string arrangements.
'Hillcrest' Parts 1 and 2 follow with the former wooing the listener with siren-esque guitar sailing off in a fog of effects accompanied by a softly brushed snare percussive backdrop, whilst the latter comes alive with jazz enthused drum fills and more playful invigorated guitar fretwork that is at once both jazz-infused and perceptibly linked to a strict song structure.
'La Cigale' is beautifully evocative with a simple orchestration of horns and plucked acoustics that are later joined by increasing waves of needling strings and a finale that sees an added vigour to McCallum's guitar gymnastics culminating in a stimulating crescendo. At eight minutes this is the longest track and displays great compositional skill in keeping the listener at arm's length from the fast forward button.
'Vital Space' is another highlight that sees the ever-present guitar, the lynch pin of this work running rings around the song's sedate chord structure in an at once flashy and self-restrained fashion showing McCallum's virtuosity whilst pulling off an image of self-deprecation. It also shows, alongside 'Distilled's careful instrumental alchemy, its composer's concern with the intricate nature and shading of each piece. A good example of this is also found in 'Lament for Levenshulme' that is an ode to Manchester and which manages to conjure up feelings of both nostalgia and a sense of melancholia through the use of aching horns and plucked guitar strings playing over a haunting violin accompaniment.
'Inflight' is the closest the album gets to a pop structure with a strong guitar lick to it from which Stuart takes off on into a steel stringed comparatively distorted blues rock run before leaving just the strings and a gentle acoustic guitar to finish.
Overall it's fair to say that there isn't an extraneous element in this album with each effect, each intricacy providing a profound depth of sound that at first glance could be perceived as simplistic but that proves to be more cerebrally engaging and emotionally evocative than if the composer had come out guns blazing. It really is a great credit to McCallum's professionalism and artistry and experience that he has pulled such a feat off.
However, if there were to be a criticism it would be that there is homogeneity to the work that nags quietly in the back of the mind and perhaps McCallum's desire to produce a seamless album in true trip-hop fashion has stumbled upon an excessive unity of style.
It is also to be noted that the use of both Jazz, ambient and at times blues influences has meant that neither has really been properly achieved leaving the album in limbo, though that would be a marketing issue. What can be said with assurance though is that 'Distilled' is an accomplished, unique work of art that pushes the boundaries of both Jazz and Chillout/Ambient music and for that alone should be praised.