Amoeba Split: “Quiet Euphoria” (2023) – Album Review

Summary

Quiet Euphoria is a sensational progressive jazz record from Amoeba Split that plays with the boundaries of genre and engages listeners with vibrant melodies and dynamic composition. Boasting moments of cohesive strength, musical whimsy, innovative and improvisational drive, and deep atmospheric immersion, Quiet Euphoria boasts both comforting familiarity and jarring unease all at once. The title itself is a similar contradiction, a vanguard of the compositional dialectical on display.

Album Info

Introduction

After a seven year hiatus, Galician jazz rock/Canterbury/fusion act Amoeba Split returned in 2023 with their electrifying new album Quiet Euphoria. Now, you can make what you will of all those labels and categories I just dropped. Whether or not the band or the album is “true” Canterbury, jazz, jazz rock, prog, fusion, or any other descriptor, I’ll leave to more informed and educated minds to debate ad nauseum. I already have enough aggravation in my life.

Thankfully, and blissfully, none of that aggravation comes from Quiet Euphoria, a lush and atmospheric slice of jazzy prog (or proggy jazz) that captivated me on first listen. And that first listen was about three months ago, because as much as I’ve been enjoying this record, I found it difficult to review at first. Jazz, classical, or any kind of instrumental albums require a lot more attention and immediacy if you’re going to provide any kind of quantitative analysis.

So for the betterment of humanity and to get right on with things, let’s just say screw the quantitative analysis and just talk about the music. More specifically, let’s talk about why Quiet Euphoria is such a compelling listen.

Review

The eight tracks on this album were composed by Alberto Villarroya López, with arrangements by pianist and organist Ricardo Castro Varela. Iago Mouriño provides further piano, synths, and organ, Fernando Lamas pounds the drums and percussion, and Israel Arranz rocks the vibraphone. Finally, Pablo Añón, Dubi Baamonde, and Rubén Salvador fill out the horn section on sax and clarinet, sax and flute, and trumpet and flugelhorn, respectively.

Produced and mixed by Alberto Castro, Miguel Bretal, and Ezequiel Orol, Quiet Euphoria is a beautiful sounding record. The soundstage is spacious and engaging, with each instrument given plenty of room and discretion to breathe, develop, and shine. The echo from the piano, the richness of the horns, the brightness of the flute, the punch of the bass… this album radiates warmth and range.

But it’s truly the songs that shine here. The album boasts moments of truly cohesive strength, musical whimsy, innovative and improvisational drive, and a sense of atmospheric immersion. There is a sense of both comforting familiarity and jarring unease all at once, a feeling you would want to experience firsthand with Quiet Euphoria. Accordingly, the title itself is a similar contradiction, a vanguard of the compositional dialectical on display.

The album opens with the title track, with quiet rumble of the piano bass keys. An accompanying shimmer of treble notes opens into a midtempo funk groove. Electric keyboards, synths, and horns take prominence as the piece assumes a playful tone. A sparkly vibraphone section is particularly appealing, alternating between the sweetly melodic and the unresolved askew. Solid bass and drum work tether the track down while still giving it plenty of room to explore. Creepy childrens laughter ends the track over soft keyboards, vibraphone, and piano, as if the titular euphoria has claimed territory over the silence.

“Shaping Shadows” opens with a weepy violin wail, almost Romani in texture. This is played over piano runs that melt into a lovely flute melody and a beautiful horn accompaniment. The band shifts between 5 and 6/4 time signatures (among others), with almost a soft lounge feel. This shifts into a more energetic midsection, with some impressive drum work, a passionate sax performance, and was that a theremin I heard there? Each instrument seems to get a moment to shine in this engaging track.

A horn fanfare introduces “The Inner Driving Force”. Almost like a statement, or rather an assertion of triumph, the line begins as a melody. Then accompanied by another horn on harmony, and then another contrapuntal. All of this culminates in an eruption of joyful melody before shifting into a jazzier, almost a bolero tone. A Hammond organ shreds its solo over a power-chordish midsection. This is a standout track. I am particularly taken with how, in the last minute, the piano and drums lay down a tonal foundation around which bass and horns develop and resolve.

“Divide and Conquer” is a quirky track. And by that I mean if the movie “Mars Attacks” had a jazz soundtrack, this would be a signature piece. I think the song can be best described as an alien ant army, on the march. Perhaps the song title is coloring my impression. There’s a bit of minor pentatonic on the break, and the overall feel of the tune is squirrely, perhaps vaguely sinister. And, at 3 minutes in length, the tune ends as quickly as it arrives.

There’s a bit of John Paul Jones vibe on the opening bassline to “Thrown To The Lions”. The song proper begins with an escalating musical motif, as if winding the melodic tension like a crank. A sax takes the first section, underneath which keys, drums, and bass set a foundation. A wailing synth shreds with frenetic energy before bass and keys dampen the pace, accompanied by a lovely flute run. This draws us into a quieter midsection in which flute and keyboards dance wistfully together. And then we return in the end to the driving pace and escalating theme from the opening, followed by 40 seconds of ambient noise.

The album closes with “No Time For Lullabies”, which at eleven minutes in length constitutes the Big Epic Closer. This is the loosest and most explorative piece on the record. It begins with two minutes of engaging piano runs over a soft drone. The alto clarinet makes an appearance here, as both it and piano engage each other in a delicate, tenuous balance.

(I will also take this opportunity to note that, apropos of nothing, I played alto clarinet for 4 years in my school band, so this was a bit of going home for your local Park Ranger!)

A repeated synth note evokes a ringing phone left in perpetual disregard, as a talkative sax ignores it in favor of its own declarative character. The track then morphs into a quiet, moodier stage. Taking a more atmospheric turn, each musical element softly engages each other, with an almost hesitant, tentative feel. The tones of a musical box underscore a sense of unease. Even the comforting return of the opening piano undermines our melodic expectations, as it transitions us into a bed of white noise, ending both the track and the album.

So in closing…

Quiet Euphoria impressed my rather fuddy-duddy sensibilities. Which is to say, this album captured me from the start and yet it took me a few months to figure out exactly why. I’m not even sure I adequately conveyed the impact of this album in my review. And yet all the discrete elements at play work in its favor: the compositional skill on display, the outstanding production and engineering, constantly exquisite musicianship and enthralling melodies, and perhaps above all, how they converge into a musical through-line both familiar and foreign. Quiet Euphoria is a sensational record that plays with the boundaries of genre and engages listeners with vibrant melodies and dynamic composition.

What similar albums does ChatGPT recommend?

While it behooves me to remind my readers that everything you just read is 100% Mills, let’s ask our friendly neighborhood AI for some similar album recommendations.

Khruangbin – “The Universe Smiles Upon You” (2015)
An American trio from Houston, Texas, Khruangbin creates a global blend of cinematic soul, twangy surf-rock, and Velvet Underground-style psychedelia. Their music is largely instrumental and groovy, making for a compelling listen for anyone who enjoys the instrumental complexity and exploration found in Amoeba Split’s work.

Bent Knee – “You Know What They Mean” (2019)
This Boston-based band creates avant-garde, art-rock that’s impossible to categorize. Similar to Amoeba Split, Bent Knee utilizes an eclectic blend of rock, jazz, and progressive elements. This album is filled with shifting time signatures, experimental soundscapes, and a range of dynamic vocal performances, making it a must-listen for those who enjoy genre-blending music.

Kamasi Washington – “The Epic” (2015)
Jazz saxophonist Kamasi Washington’s ambitious triple album “The Epic” is a sprawling journey through a range of jazz styles, from traditional to fusion. With a band that includes a choir and an orchestra, the music is often grand and always adventurous, reminiscent of the complex and engaging instrumentals of Amoeba Split.

Polar Bear – “In Each And Every One” (2014)
This British jazz band led by drummer Seb Rochford balances delicate melodies with avant-garde noise. The band creates an atmospheric sound with a wide range of influences, resulting in an album that’s eclectic and adventurous. The fusion elements, the innovative sounds, and the diverse musical influences may appeal to fans of Amoeba Split.

Yussef Kamaal – “Black Focus” (2016)
This album is a blend of 70s jazz-funk, fusion and electronic music. Yussef Kamaal’s music is characterized by lively drumming, warm keys, and groovy basslines that create a dynamic and exciting atmosphere. The creativity and instrumental prowess shown on this record make it a fitting recommendation for those who enjoyed “Quiet Euphoria”.

Output from ChatGPT, OpenAI to Mills, 6 July 2023.