Playwright移籍第1弾となった昨年のアグレッシヴな『AWAKENING』で文字通り覚醒したジャズ・クィンテットは、結成10周年を迎えてますます血気盛んのようだ。タワレコ限定の新録ベスト『MEANING』を挿んで届けられた5枚目のオリジナル・アルバムは、互いに気迫をぶつけ合うような演奏の荒々しさに驚く“Sand Castle”での幕開けからパンチのあるナンバーを畳み掛ける、問答無用で高まる一枚に。スカのリズムでルーディーに迫る“FULL DRIVE”で新たなカードも切りつつ、ハード・バップ作法の“Flash”、ファラオ・サンダース“You've Got To Have Freedom”の如きピアノ・フレーズに心躍る“Sol Levante”などではバンドの旗印たる〈踊れるジャズ〉の側面もしっかり誇示していて、全体的に芯の部分はそのまま一回りビルドアップしたような印象。火照った身体を冷ます美しいバラード“Relight Days”に顕著な、メロディアスな魅力ももちろん増強されているのでご安心を。
[English Translation]
Having made an animating sound for the last year's aptly-named "AWAKENING" album, the first effort after their move to Playwright, TRI4TH still hit on all cylinders to mark their 10th anniversary. Following the freshly-recorded Tower Records-exclusive best-of album, “MEANING”, which also featured two new tunes, the jazz quintet drop their fifth full-length. Right from surprising opener "Sand Castle," which sends their instrumentation wild with their spirits colliding with each other, a stack of punchy numbers makes the album compellingly rousing. The band play their new card with ska rhythm on the rude "FULL DRIVE" while boasting their hallmarks like the hard bop of "Flash" and the thrilling piano phrase of "Sol Levante," which brings to mind Pharoah Sanders' "You've Got To Have Freedom." On the whole, it feels like the album beefs up the band's core characteristics with more comprehensive takes. Rest assured that there are also melodic moments reinforced as seen prominently in the beautiful ballad "Relight Days" which chills out your heated body.
