PAT METHENY GROUP: SPEAKING OF NOW

Speaking of Now contains the same mystical and organic beauty as an aesthetic tale of futuristic space travel between alien worlds: each diverse, aloof, yet strangely homey and oddly familiar. Haunting in the most cosmic of fashions, delicately spacey, and wholly attaching: Pat Metheny's Speaking of now is one of the finer jazz albums ever released, and among my personal favourites.

I find this to be Metheny strongest and most diverse album. It combines amazing musicianship, with beautiful compositions - compositions which grow more and more emotionally clinging with every listen. It is phenomenally captivating, and just plain good! I fail to believe anyone has given this album a full listen and walked away disliking it. It is absolutely astonishing on an intellectual and a very personal level, and simply enjoyable to listen to. It makes a world of its own. When you listen to this album, you aren't on earth anymore.

As I've mentioned before, Metheny is truly amazing at carving imagery and making very gripping atmospheres with his music, but not as explicitly as some of the more blunt psychedelic or krautrock bands. The psychedelic element arises naturally, and has a very organic timbre. This time around, it's even stronger. Some proggies (particularly young generation proggies) can get bored of a lot of jazz, and find most of it tedious. Pat Metheny - this album in particular - is a great place for them to change their opinion. Every song is its own, and you'll not mistake one for the other. As the album's cover suggest, there are many atmospheres and textures on this album. Each song is a gem, here.

The colourful and delicate piano really adds another dimension to this great jazz music, Lyle Mays is really noteworthy for his phenomenal job on the keys. Vocals from Cuong Vu (particularly on You) really make the emotional power of the song shine, and further reinforce the already driving melodies. Metheny's skills as a soulful writer are undeniable, and he's able to create some strange sort of nostalgic, intoxicating, and memorable musical landscape. I pity the ears that die afore digesting these sounds.