Mix almost every kind of music to one track and it might come out sounding like Chronophonic.
Someone needs to tell this band that sometimes less is more.
On the band's new CD, Footwork, Denver-based Chronophonic throws in beats and rhymes, the soul of James Brown, jazz as if Miles Davis were performing with Metallica, the funk of Parliment, a little bit of R & B and even some hippie jam-band sounds.
Needless to say, Footwork is a hodgepodge of influences that at times works well, but at others leaves the listener thinking, "What the hell was that?"
What else could you expect from a band boasting eight members, including two vocalists and a complete horn section?
The lineup goes a little something like this: Jon Piazza on vocals and keyboards, Jon Stone on guitar, Kyle Crystal on bass, drummer Jim Fierro, baritone sax and vocalist Jake Sanders, Mike Chiesa on tenor sax, Matt King on alto sax and Steve Jones on trumpet.
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Footwork begins strong enough with "Been So Hot." It is a mellow cross of metal guitars and beats and rhymes, and sounds similar to something the Roots might try. The mishmash that is Chronophonic is evident in the lyrics of "Been So Hot." The rhyming manages to mix socially conscious lyrics of the problems of war with juvenile attitudes of how good Chronophonic is, and even the downright ridiculous.
"With so many problems in the USA/ it's kinda hard being someone so skinny," the vocalists sing.
The next song, "Breakfast for Dinner," brings the funk and soul of James Brown into a song not exclusively about the best meal of the day. A sex-muffin or hot cakes in an Easy-Bake Oven, anyone?
The strengths of Footwork and Chronophonic lie where it doesn't try to mix too much into the equation in too short a space. "Or Was it Something Deeper Captain?" and "By Any Other Name" are two of the best songs on the album. Both are long, mellow yet driving numbers with an elusive mood that effectively brings the jazz of Coltrane and Davis to the Rocky Mountains in the year 2004.
Although hip hop rules the music industry today, it doesn't mean that any ol' group should attempt to blend it into their sound. On songs such as "Footwork" and "Reflections of the Shadow of the Flame," Chronophonic unsuccessfully tries to meld cheesy rap lyrics of self-promotion into strong jazz and funk music. The band's assets are overwhelmingly its musicianship, quality and style, but every bad rap about deejays and b-boys overshadows those strengths.
Chronophonic seems to love all genres of music and wants to include every influence at every turn. It is a powerful band, but Footwork leaves the listener with an uneasy feeling because they are not quite sure where the music is going. When it can figure out how to drop certain influences for the strength of a song is when Chronophonic will shine.
