Scrimshire
Nothing Feels Like Everything
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Since 2009, Adam Scrimshire has been writing, recording and releasing a blend of soul, funk and jazz. And while his albums have always had reflective moments, his new (and sixth) album Nothing Feels Like Everything finds him grappling with the state of the world over the last 18 months in ways that are new to his canon. Over the course of the nine tracks here, he navigates a pathway from anger to some form of hope with a winning mix of musical collaborators.
The anger that kicks off proceedings comes courtesy of “The Pile,” which is also one of the standouts. Here, Scrimshire’s influences stand proud and readily identifiable—the driving folk-funk track is redolent of 4hero’s work, which in turn owes a debt to Terry Callier and the amazing arrangements of Charles Stepney. The lineage is clear and guest vocalist Cleveland Watkiss delivers lines that Callier himself would be proud of, laying bare the injustices and inequity of the world: “Deny the facts and its proof / So nothing can change / We’re tired of talks and protests / Now action we say / How could you not notice / Bruises at the bottom of the pile.”
Scrimshire himself is at pains to point out the highly collaborative nature of his work, and this humility and shared approach underpins the emotive core of the album. The next voice to light up the album comes from Miryam Solomon on the gentle shuffle of “Heron.” Yet the song changes nature over the course of its running time. The aforementioned gentle shuffle gives way to a Middle Eastern vibe courtesy of what sounds like an oud, before some eerie strings punctuate proceedings around the mid-way point.
There is something delightful and memorable on every track here. On “In Circles,” Idris Rahman’s flute combines with keys that are by turns shimmering and grandiose to bring about a state of bliss. “I Hear You, I See You” boasts two guest spots in the shape of Nat Birchall’s freewheeling clarinet and Faye Houston’s delightfully delivered intonations, and has a low-key groove that feels like it goes on for days in the search of transcendent illumination.
Every time Ursula Rucker’s eloquence and velvet tones appear on a song, it is a good day and “Boldly” is no different. The gentle pulsing heartbeat and Rhodes piano with flourishes and splashes of other instrumentation create a wonderful backdrop for Rucker to drop her wisdom. The comfort gained from hearing her utter “We’ll figure this shit out / Let’s keep going,” is both welcome and necessary.
The heaviest groove of the album, “Love In Dreams” comes with insistent waves of synths and Idris Rahman’s inspired saxophone, before the album is rounded off with the tranquil warmth of “Discussion” that offers a kind of quiet hope with its zaps of spacy keys.
This is a lovely, subdued kind of album that might pass some unnoticed, but the humility and humanity shine through in every note, lyric and subtle piece of instrumentation. Just don’t underestimate the combined power of those subtleties.
Notable Tracks: “Boldly” | “Heron” | “The Pile”
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