Where We Are Now – Mosaic
Where We Are Now is the entrancing debut album from Sydney jazz group Mosaic. The 10-piece ensemble has established themselves as one of the most exciting new acts in the city’s jazz scene, their sound coloured by an intricate mix of brass, piano, saxophones and percussion. Their debut record—composed entirely of original compositions by the group’s members and other emerging Australian composers—strikes an impressive balance between band synergy and individual expression. On “Come Rain or Shine”, the album’s third track, each instrument blends together seamlessly without getting lost in the mix, ebbing and flowing side by side over 7 unrushed minutes of blissful smooth jazz.
The Making of Silk – Allysha Joy
Allysha Joy’s most recent record, The Making of Silk—at its core—is an album about love. The seasoned R&B vocalist seeks to capture the kind of love that “lives in the passionate dreaming of a Koryusai Painting”, one that is grounded in a tender impermanence. All of the eleven songs are self-produced and self-written. Joy’s voice—with its raspy soulfulness and sincerity—cuts through beautifully on each and every one of them. Over layers of immersive synths, dulcet strings, slinky guitars and a relentless R&B groove, Joy always seems to be speaking directly to us, making a bold and powerful statement: “I understand that all things change, all things end, hurt exists, but I will love regardless”.
