December 12, 2024

Tom Bancroft’s In Common

Tom Bancroft’s In Common sounds like a collaboration between Sufjan Stevens, Stereolab, a bunch of flower power hippies and an Indian folk group. As collaborations go there could be far worse. The Sufjan Stevens and Stereolab influences are really quite powerful, and very well done. This is not a cheap imitation as such, but rather as good as the real thing. There’s quite a bit of mono-tonal chanting, which I mention as means of a description, not criticism. The timing of the chanting seems a little offbeat at times, which curiously, only adds to the charm of the piece. Its a rich mix with violin, tabla, guitar and bodhran (go on, look it up). Its also a trance piece, very yoga, something for the whirling dervish in you. At times it trips out, spaces out and expands all the way into the depths of the universe. Flavours of psychedelic soul and funk are sprinkled in.

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