Lonker See - Hamza (2020)

Lonker See

Tomasz Gadecki - saxophones
Bartosz Borowski - guitar
Joanna Kucharska - bass, vocal
Michał Gos - drums, percussion

Hamza

ANTENA KRZYKU 2020

By Adam Baruch

This is the fourth album by Polish quartet Lonker See, which comprises of vocalist/bassist Joanna Kucharska, guitarist Bartosz Borowski, drummer Michał Gos and saxophonist Tomasz Gadecki. The album presents seven original compositions, not credited on the album's artwork and assumed to be co-composed by the quartet members, with all lyrics by Kucharska.

The music is a mixture of Psychedelic Rock. Progressive Rock, Trance and Free Jazz, which although hardly innovative (I mean five decades ago this was a highly fashionable music), has a unique character. The meeting between Rock musicians and the Avant-Garde saxophonist works very well and the fact that they are able to find a common language is of course commendable.

However, music that is based on drone-like, repetitive simplistic melody lines, even when spiced by fiery improvisations, eventually becomes somewhat boring. It may be hype for the young listeners, who are exposed to it for the first time and ignorant of musical legacy, but for listeners familiar with this formula since decades it might be less enthusiastic. In spite of the obvious superb playing by Gadecki, the overall result leaves me cold.

It also appears that in the last couple of years or so more and more European ensembles are drown into this specific creative formula, which personally quite puzzles me, especially in view of the limitations this specific approach presents. There is only place in such narrow idiom for the absolutely best. In short this album has a very specific character, but fails to evoke neither emotional nor intellectual excitement as far as I am concerned. But this is only me of course.