Bowmanville
StonEagle, 2023
8/10
A Chicago outfit with their own unique style, Bowmanville blend portions of Django Reinhardt’s Quintet of the Hot Club of France with the blues from their hometown for these 11 very energetic tracks.
“Annie & Me” opens the listen with Ethan Adelsman’s fluid violin and Graham Nelson’s spirited harmonica adding much color to the climate, and “Metal Bird” follows with Noah Plotkin’s frisky drumming packing intrigue into the lively rock influences.
Further along, “Don’t Force It” finds more intimate areas to reside in, where Ethan Phillion and Oliver Horton’s precise bass playing help cultivate a distinct dreaminess, while “Fly Me To The Moon” carries a peppy jazz demeanor thanks to Mason Jiller’s playful guitar and Nelson’s expressive pipes.
Close to the end, the emotive “La Vie En Rose” spotlights the poetic strings amid the cautious rhythm section, and “Weapons Of Mass Destruction” exits the listen with a bouncy and thumping delivery that touches on rock’n’rolls past with meticulous interaction that’s also quite festive.
A listen that’s not short on solos, the originals mix in well with the covers, and it makes for a swingin, cultured and diverse affair that warrants multiple listens.