b r a n d o n

One needn't look very far these days to see innovation in and around Jewish music. From the klezmer influences in groups like Alamaailman Vasarat to the Masada project and the entire "Radical Jewish Culture" series on Tzadik to Mogwai's My Father My King, there's a lot of great stuff out there building off of the rich tradition of Jewish music. Add Kruzenshtern & Parohod to that list. K&P are a trio - mostly just bass, drums, and clarinet, with the occasional vocals - that would not sound out of place on Zorn's Tzadik label, except for the fact that their brand of avant-klezmer-punk is much more upbeat and playful than most of the Radical Jewish Culture material. Most often, as one might expect, the clarinetist holds the melody as the bass and drums pound out a wide variety of rhythms - running the gamut from bouncy marches to intense punk/hardcore workouts. The bassist in particular is breathtakingly versatile, at times merely holding down the beat, but often taking the lead and sounding almost as if he would fit in well with the Ruins. Likewise, the entire band vacillates almost schizophrenically between airy melodicism, whimsical goofiness (often vocal), and brief fits of aggression and intensity; not unlike a calmer, quieter, more Jewish Naked City. The compositions are impeccable, good enough to make the whole affair very accessible despite the fact that the band jumps between themes early and often. As far as prog-cachet goes, Songs is produced by Udi Koomran of Ahvak, a man who seems to have his hands all over everything remotely progressive to come out of Israel. And his production is, as usual, excellent - the sound on the record is clear and clean and appropriately punchy given K&P's penchant for unpredictability. This combined with loving packaging and the band's irrepressible musical personality make Songs as pleasant a surprise as any I had in all of 2004. review by Brandon Wu — 1-5-05 —