Jo Quail
Notan
Adderstone Records
Jo Quail is a renowned cellist and composer so why is she in Devolution Magazine? Well, her experimental approach to the instrument has seen her completing several solo tours across the world, and she has toured supporting artists including, MONO, Myrkur, Amenra, and Boris among others for a start. One listen to the doomy distortion she applies to the cello on opener Butterfly Dance put her more in league with artists like Earth and Sunn O))) than the Royal Philharmonic although her celebratory performance style has won her a fan base in the contemporary classical world as well as among enthusiasts of post-rock, metal and electronica. A Leaf, Then A Key lands her back in more contemporary classical waters whilst album highlight Embrace follows an almost post crescendo format with distorted cello parts joining the layers of sound underpinning this hugely emotive piece of music. Jo uses only cello, electric cello and a moderate amount of piano on First Rain to sculpt this ever shifting landscape through overdriven drone and looped passages to the transcendental closer Kingfisher with its stately classical drive gliding over knocks and taps presumably on the cello itself (the only concession to a rhythm section here that my ears can pick up as it opens into its overdrive march to the climax. Jo is recording a fully orchestral version of this album and the prospect is extremely exciting indeed. This is a journey to the outer reaches of what is possible with an instrument when your skill and imagination is boundless.
Review by George Miller