Tara Clerkin Trio - Somewhere Good - World Of Echo
Tara Clerkin, her partner Sunny Joe Paradisos, and his brother Patrick Benjamin have been making waves under the name Tara Clerkin Trio since their self-titled debut album back in 2019. Since then, their unique mix of electronically infused Jazz/Kraut hybrids and classic Bristol Trip-Hop influences has reached a much wider audience. Following two interim singles (In Spring and On The Tuning Ground) released on the British institution World Of Echo, they chose this very imprint for their second album.
Just like their previous releases, this new piece evokes the feeling of flipping through an audible memory book; peaceful, a bit melancholic, but never cheesy or pretentious – always authentic. The whole album is framed within a beautifully intertwined intro (Lake Walk) and outro (Ups & Downs). Lake Walk sounds like a slow awakening, like those first cautious blinks of the day, with its woodwind, piano, and melodica improvisations. It leads seamlessly into Lazy Daisy, where slightly wonky, acid-leaning basslines mesh beautifully, making the song very true to its title. This sound, combined with a careful Trip-Hop aesthetic and Tara Clerkin’s voice, creates a wonderfully ingenuous vibe.
Despite the overall laid-back foundation of Movin’ On, this piece is not lazy at all, but fast, trippy, and jazzy. The melodica and harp-like details set highlights that carry on the previous vibe, creating the perfect soundtrack for a sympathetic bunch of rascals enjoying life. Silently, a bittersweet ballad, is arranged in two parts: Clerkin’s voice floats over a slow, fine groove in the first half, before the keys respond to it in the second. Most surprisingly, Tara Clerkin is joined on vocals in Slow Island by one of her bandmates, underlining the dialogue in this dubby song.
The title track Somewhere Good follows – a beautifully melancholic Krautrock/Jazz hybrid in classic TCT manner – and perfectly demonstrates why Pitchfork featured it in their “Best New Track” category. Next up, There Was A Nice Sunset is a spaced-out jam that plays with opposites, pairing mellow jazz drums with deep, subtle layers of soundscapes and the distant sirens of a distorted guitar. Finally, the very patient build-up from jazz to a Trip-Hop beat, combined with the differently pitched, chanson-sounding vocal chops in Ups & Downs, creates the perfect response to the intro Lake Walk, leaving you behind with a lovely mix of curiosity and contentment.
