Review: Moon Hooch - This is Cave Music
By Sam Carroll, Contributor
[Hornblow, 2014]
Rating: 6/10
Key Tracks: “Contra Dubstep,” “5-Sax Piece,” “Milk and Waffles”
Moon Hooch is a jazz band formed in Brooklyn. Its self-titled debut had a strong free-form jazz vibe, whereas This is Cave Music dives into Moon Hooch’s dance and electronic influences.
This is Cave Music features two components absent from its first release: synth-driven rhythms and vocals. For most of the album the bass doesn’t take too much of a lead role, but there are some tracks that do show off its incorporation.
“No. 6” opens the album with an upbeat groove, the first minute and a half comprised solely of drum and saxophone before hard, lo-fi wobble bass fades into the mix. It’s unique to Moon Hooch’s sound but doesn’t take away from the band’s style. It makes the song more danceable but doesn't overwhelm to the point where it sounds like a bass drop in some dubstep track.
Vocals aren’t featured on every song and can be stronger when used. The vocals on “Mountain Song” sound wispy and feel drowned out by the heavy bass; they seem to clash with the music. When the instruments descend and hit lower notes, the vocals get higher. The instruments convey a chilled out and relaxed mood, whereas the vocals have a perky tone and spoken-word style. The overall effect feels off-kilter, hurting what could have been a great track.
While there are traces of Moon Hooch’s electronic influence across the whole album, it doesn’t really show its full influence until the last tracks on the album. “Contra Dubstep” stands out the most because it sounds the least like the rest of the album, opening with a grinding wobble bass that takes the spotlight for the piece's entirety. Although heavy, it does have a short bridge that returns to jazzier roots and the two saxophones take the lead before diving back into dubstep territory.
“Contra Dubstep” also feels like the only track that leads into another track. Most tracks on this album have silence at the end when the next song kicks in. Few of the songs on Cave Music have an appropriate build up. The track “Ewi” starts in the middle of stuttering saxophones. Even though the album revolves around an electronic theme, the lack of decent openings and lead-ins makes the experience less cohesive.
This is Cave Music displays Moon Hooch’s progression from jazz to electronic. The band doesn’t really lose its sense of style through the album with its saxophone use and free-form approach. The addition of synths is welcome, adding depth missing from the first album. However, the tracks don’t really flow together, making it sound more like of a collection of tracks instead of a cohesive album.
