Justin Morell

Exit Music For Intelligent Life On Earth

Sonic Frenzy, 2022

8/10

Listen to Exit Music For Intelligent Life On Earth

The 7th album from the guitarist and composer Justin Morell, Exit Music For Intelligent Life On Earth offers 21 short pieces that tell the story of global climate sections, from the warming of one degree that exists today, to the melting, warming and forming of new deserts to come in the future.

“One Degree” opens the listen with warm and soothing guitar lines as well timed percussion enters the mature jazz landscape, and “Contagion” follows with a similar, sophisticated approach that makes quite an impression in just over a minute with its cautious yet playful demeanor.

Elsewhere, “Anoxia” flows with a hypnotic delivery that makes the most out of the timeless melody, while “True Polar Wander” shimmers with fascinating chord progressions in a very jazz friendly climate. “Xerocoles” then shifts into the Desert Forms portion of the listen, as a bright energy unfolds between the guitar and drums.

New Home exits the listen, and showcases a dreamy personality in the pretty “Homestead”, and “Life Underground” exits the listen with Morell’s sublime attention to detail putting a firm exclamation point on the accomplished effort.

Morell uses 20 different guitars on the listen, and together with Mark Feber on drums he brings jazz, classical and rock ideas into a very heartfelt, poetic and gorgeous body of work.

Travels well with: Steve Million- Jazz Words; Matt Panayides- Field Theory