Wayne Alpern

Secular Rituals

Henri Elkan, 2022

9/10

Listen to Secular Rituals

The New York resident Wayne Alpern never does anything conventional, and here he handles all instruments on a jazz and classically tinted affair that also welcomes creative looping and world music ideas into the sonic landscape.

“Utopia” gets the listen off to a very mesmerizing start, where classical nods and post-rock textures enter the atypical climate, and “Victims Of Venom” follows with firm drumming that segues into a very swift display of percussive acrobatics.

Further down the line, “Gomoa Fetta” offers a raw and rhythmic version of repetition and synthetic sounds that appears indebted to African ideas, while “Brave Art” flows with a hazy quality amid the thumping drums and ominous atmosphere. “Bach CmP” then emits a bright and quick display of meticulous keys that’ll occupy significant space in your mind all day.

“Triangularity” and “Vishvakarma” exit the listen, where the former is both calm and exploratory, and the latter finishes with Eastern influences amid Alpern’s iconoclastic and inviting song craft.

To say that Alpern’s music is genre defying would be putting it mildly. His diverse skills and inimitable approach to songwriting make every song here completely different from the rest, and as a whole it’s a stunning and unforgettable listen.

Travels well with: Wayne Alpern- Frankenstein; Billy Test Trio- Coming Down Roses