The Great Escape
Four Flies, 2022
8/10
The brainchild of Isaac de Martin, as IKE the artist brings very mature genres into modern pop ideas that take help from plenty of talented players on this sophomore album.
“Eva” starts the listen with a very warm and fluid jazz approach that’s quite stylish and benefits much from agile percussion and Simona Turk’s tenor sax, and “It’s Ok” follows with Sera Kalo’s gorgeous and soulful pipes guiding the bits of psychedelia emanating from IKE’s guitar.
At the halfway point, “Interlude” brings a very dreamy climate of bare but impactful sounds, while “Ethics Of The Sun” pulsates with a modern electro-pop delivery that’s quite adventurous in a cinematic sort of way.
Closer to the end, Kalo’s pipes return on the guitar and synth fueled “Somewhere”, which is the record’s best, and “Kurbis” exits the listen with proficient drumming and plenty of rhythm that showcases Michele Uliana’s radiant clarinet.
A record that thematically discusses the escape from our present techno-scientific society, IKE and company make a heartfelt, eloquent and exploratory mix of instrumentals and vocal moments that embrace neo-soul, future jazz and downtempo ideas.
Travels well with: Almeeva- To All My Friends; Serena Ferrara & Simone Mor- Kemana