PICTURES OF A STILL LIFE

In the past, I have not been all too endeared to the more improvised and jam-based albums of the French multi-instrumentalist Sébastien Gramond. I have often found them to sound greatly underdeveloped and half-baked to their core, but over the past few years of Gramond's more recent material, I have also noticed that he seems to be taking the record-making process much more seriously. With this in mind, Gramond has made a good instrumental rock album with 'Pictures Of A Still Life'. With enough interesting sounds and changes throughout to be more or less consistent, 'Pictures Of A Still Life' may be as good as the loose Gramond albums come.

With 'Music For A Quiet Family Movie' really exemplifying the changes Gramond has made here, it is very clear that there is alot of thought put into the music, despite things continuing to bear the semblance of a jam. Instruments start and stop on cue, and occasionally the entire sound shifts to something different and new. It does still feel as if the compositions are dragged on beyond the length they should have been, but the sound is pleasant, even if not kept entirely interesting. The sound is quite jazzy and this mixes in well with the psychedelic overtones that Gramond incorporates this time around. And fairly rarely in terms of the instrumental albums, the music here feels as if it has been recorded and produced well, although some of the keyboard sounds are still a little tacky.

Especially towards the latter half of the album, Frank Zappa's influence on Sébastien Gramond shines through, and the mood here is kept fairly playful. If only Gramond could work in some more dynamic and melody into these instrumental albums, it is clear from 'Pictures Of A Still Life' that there would be potential for something really good.

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