Guardians
JZ, 2024
8/10
A New York resident and Beijing native, Annie Chen brings her vocals and lyrics to these songs inspired by a trip th Acadia National Park in Maine, and welcomes instrumentation from Marius Duboule, Fung Chern Hwei, Mathew Muntz, Alex LoRe, Vitor Goncalves and Satoshi Takeishi.
“Rozpacz (Despair)” starts the listen with Chen’s exciting vocal acrobatics amid Goncalves’ frisky keys and Takeishi’s unpredictable drums making for an animated presence, and “Underground Dance” follows with harmonic singing and accordion from Goncalves that emits a mesmerizing spirit.
Halfway through, “Gule Gule Instanbul” carries a distinct dreaminess that unfolds with a rich delivery thanks to Duboule’s warm guitar, while “Guardians Suite” flows across 4 chapters that emit lively sax from LoRe and cryptic storytelling that suits the minimal versus busier bouts where Muntz’s strategic bass and Hwei’s strings won’t go unappreciated.
A very diverse body of work, Chen’s vision touches on jazz, opera, Middle Eastern ideas and classical elements, as she navigates this very unique record with grace and adventurousness.
Travels well with: Richard Nelson- Dissolve; Ches Smith- Laugh Ash