Acoustic Alchemy - American / English (2005)

Like a letter from a favorite friend - Smooth Jazz supergroup Acoustic Alchemy writes again... This time they've written in "American English," which is, as we would be inclined to say in America, totally cool. Celebrating their 20th anniversary the British instrumental ensemble has released, in our opinion, one of their best projects to date... Sophisticated, captivating and fresh. Reminding me a bit of 1991's BACK ON THE CASE with regard to how that album impacted music at that time. Starting off smooth and hip on AMERICAN/ENGLISH with "The Crossing," moving right into the current radio hit, "Say Yeah," which offers some fun, cutting edge production where the guitar riffs are "chopped" for effect; this technique has been utilized by dance/pop artists like Madonna and Craig David. For you Chill/Lounge enthusiasts, check out "So Kylie," a delicious groove with sweet vocalizing combined with that signature Acoustic Alchemy sound. The name references the U.K. dance scene and diva Kylie Minogue. Another stand out track, "She Speaks American English," funks up the place a bit. According to AA manger, Stewart Coxhead, "It's an English take on a sound that is very American, with maybe a few Steely Dan quotes thrown in." My personal favorite is the deep "Lilac Lane" for it's rich texture, complex emotion and haunting melody. Feels like the Monterey Bay area to me... Acoustic Alchemy Circa 2005, with Greg Carmichael and Miles Gilderdale at the helm, is at the top of their game... Sounding, looking and recording better than ever. ~ Sandy Shore