Time Out may push you to escape the boundaries of the psyche, but it doesn’t escape the boundaries of conventional jam bands. The Quickening wears those influences proudly. If you aren’t already a Deadhead and/or “lack soul,” this album won’t convert you to the groove. However, even in recordings, the energy and spontaneity that make live jam music unique are prevalent in the band’s latest release.
The Quickening formed in 2012 after lead singer and guitarist Blake Quick left local funk band Flow Tribe, which was featured on MTV’s The Real World in 2011. The band has since released three full-length albums and has garnered local acclaim as one of the leading live jam bands in New Orleans. They’ve performed multiple times on big stages at Tipitina’s, The Broadside and more.
The cover of “Time Out” amply reflects the vibe of the album. It illustrates a woman looking upwards towards the night sky while immersed in a green pool surrounded by mountains. It’s an LSD trip, à la Grateful Dead, Phish, Widespread Panic, and drug culture as a whole. Time Out asks the listener to seek a deeper connection with themselves and the world by letting go and escaping the boundaries of the mind.
Each member does their part to bend the psyche. The syncopated guitars and in-the-pocket rhythms by Dave Easley (guitar) and Eddie Christmas (drums) anchor each track’s hypnosis. Chirping and whining synths provide a retro-futuristic tone to the songs. Joe Bouche’s keys create a sonic mountainscape and occasionally break free from the backdrop, as evidenced on “Piedi Cazzo.” Sax (James Beaumont) and bass (Alfred Small) playfully dance on the track “Space Machine.” Quick and Rachel Murray’s vocals accent each other well, ranging from chant-like choruses to the clever lyricism heard on “Jack of All Spades.”
Jam bands have the advantage of providing easy listening, the kind of music anyone can leave on in the background. But The Quickening delivers an album that on a close listen is dense with well-produced effects, fine individual musicianship and sharp lyrics. It might not be for everyone, but the funk-inclined will find plenty of ways to get lost in here.
