Spherical Agenda is a young American band that offers Jazz Prog and Fusion in the Mahavishnu Orchestra style, and Return to Forever. After a series of singles released between 2018 and 2021, on November 19, 2021 their full-length debut “Arcane Wisdom” containing 8 medium-length tracks was released. The quartet is joined by guest artist Walfredo Reyes, Jr. in two tracks. The opener “Guts” was also presented as a single with video, immediately immerses us in the sound atmosphere of the band, made of intricate passages and frenetic rhythms. The references to Jazz and Fusion are marked and the band’s technique is immediately evident, with pleasant intertwining guitar and keyboard, a drumming enriched by continuous tempo changes and supporting bass lines. The keyboards offer a valuable prolonged solo in the central part, which then leaves room for the bass and finally the guitar. This is followed by “High Stakes” which is the shortest track on the album and opens with a Heavy Prog vibe, with a pulled rhythm, distorted guitars and hammond. The organ is a great protagonist in the first part, a passage that mixes Jazz Prog and the harder sounds of Rock showing how the band has many quality ideas and expresses them with a superfine technique. The intensity increases with the passage of the song which in the second part intertwines guitar virtuosity with those of hammond, creating an energetic and engaging track rich in technique and a lot of Prog. “Rad Dads” begins with a softer rhythm and a sound closer to Jazz with excellent guitar cues on a keyboard background. With intricate melodies that mix Fusion and Rock, it is a very technical and more delicate track that does not fail to accelerate at the right moment, flowing pleasantly for all over 5 minutes. In the second part the intensity increases and the guitar gives us a prolonged solo that highlights a remarkable technique, with a killer bassline that accompanies us throughout the piece. Another single extract, which we talked about in our webzine “Steak Jazz” which is the first track that hosts Walfredo, is characterized by a first part reminiscent of the tracks of Fuzion of the ’70s. The intensity increases with the passage of the song, which also becomes more and more elaborate by developing the central theme and offering intricate guitar solo cues. At times frenetic the track is enriched by continuous tempo changes that enhance the individual technique of the musicians involved. “Blooze” is a track with positive melodies and Fusion traits with an intricate drumming characterized by continuous accelerations. The intertwining between guitar and keyboard is of fine workmanship and elaborate bass lines, also offering a good solo in the first part. With a growing development, mixing different styles and with very technical passages, it is an engaging and well-articulated track. The longest of the album “Spherical Funk” as the title suggests has a structure with Funk features, and a more minimal sound in the first part, and then opens up and unleashes all the strength of the band in the central part. Enriched by the solo interventions of the guitar and keyboards, the second part flows pleasantly between virtuosity and intricate tempo changes. “Coleman’s Question” is the other song that Walfredo hosts, and it begins with a conversation between the musicians in the studio and then develops a sound that, as the title suggests, recalls Coleman. With a strong Fuzion imprint and with a driving bass, Jazz piano solos and continuous tempo changes, he manages to blend tradition with modern sounds, enhancing the technique of the musicians involved. The album ends with the title track “Arcane Wisdom” a very technical song, where the band lets itself go completely, offering an original sound with very personal traits. Very elaborate and at times complex, it shows all the compositional and executive technique of the band, concluding this work leaving us the desire to play the disc again. This young band has released a debut album with a strong impact, very technical and elaborate where everyone collaborates on the sound, enhancing their individual technique and putting it at the service of the group. A very intense, engaging record that blends multiple genres and styles, starting from Fusion to branch out between Jazz and Prog with high-level melodies and solos. Lovers of Fusion and Jazz Prog sounds will find here a fresh, original and very engaging listening. A great start for a band to follow now and in the future, managing to bring the 70s sounds of bands like Mahavishnu Orchestra to the present day with a personal touch.
Tracklist
01. Guts (05:50)
02. High Stakes (04:53)
03. Rad Dads (05:41)
04. Steak Jazz (feat. Walfredo Reyes, Jr.) (06:28)
05. Blooze (05:46)
06. Spherical Funk (07:06)
07. Coleman’s Question (feat. Walfredo Reyes, Jr.) (06:21)
08. Arcane Wisdom (06:05)
Lineup
Matt Wiles / Bass
Brandon Coleman / Guitar
Ben Tweedt / Keyboards
Devon Leigh / Drums