Graham Reid | | 1 min read
Bucket
It has been more than a couple of years since we last had a visit from Infinity – guitarist/bassist, keyboard player Pat Hura and drummer Cam Budge (out of Hastings) – whose self-titled debut was a very pleasant and intelligent journey through space-rock ambience, electro-funk New Age and material you felt might lend itself to soundtracks.
And in places would be of equal appeal to George Benson fans as those interested in quasi-exotic world music.
It goes without saying these guys can really play and that in their desire to avoid the boundaries between genres they can float freely between various styles with ease.
So Duart Funk here is has an ominous Eighties-soundtrack reference (think Miami Vice with more earth tones) and the title track with bristling guitar and a relentless drum part evokes a low flight over a changing landscape of snow-covered mountains and frozen lakes.
Their music is frequently that cinematic.
The three-part Five Days on End is a more downbeat, romantic piece with its middle section having a warm and languid quality courtesy of the seamless blend of guitar and keyboards. It's cocktail hour by the beach . . . until the tension rises in the final part with the entry of guest guitarist Lee McKenzie.
Elsewhere some tracks are more easy listening than essential (Cam's Cafe and the surf ambience of The Phantom, both of which attest to serious capabilities but don't quite grip like the others) but as an album for immersion it's very nice indeed, with a whisper of Kitaro on Infinity Parts 4 and 5.
And right at the end they jerk you awake with the deceptively titled Into the Ease which is low and dark blues.
As we said before, you admire that not only do these guys do this because they can and want to, but that they do it so well.
Let's hope we can shine a small spotlight on them again.
You can buy this album from their website here.
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