Jurojin comprises the interesting combination of a rock singer, a jazz bassist, a metal guitar player and a classical Indian tabla player. It’s fair to say that “Living Measure of Time” encompasses all these elements and furthermore benefits from a crisp and clean quality of sound.
After an introduction which oozes acoustic refinement, the band launch into “The Scars”, a piece of powerful, forward-driving Classic rock. The rhythm is jazzy and funky. It’s progressive in a modern way. Its movement reminds me of Suspyre but more colourful than that. The purity of the vocals match the playing as we go into still funkier territory. “The Liar” which follows is similarly fast, energetic and clean. It’s impossible not to move with it. This album is engaging both musically and lyrically, none more so than this track. The lyrics are personal and gritty too. “The Liar” ends on the same theme but in a softer tone. After listening to this album, I realised that this not only provided interest within the track, but it heralded a skilful transition from the rockier end of their music to a more ambient, jazzy style which dominated the rest of this work. Bravo, Jurojin. The next track “Proem” featured the tabla. It conveys the sense of the Indian heat and deep spirituality which one would associate with this instrument. The purity of the tabla blends with the incoming acoustic guitar and calming vocals, sending a shiver up the spine. And then is that a dulcimer I hear? “Proem” is quite simply a wonderful track which takes us to exotic lands. The transition to “The Winter” is smooth. It’s a slow, acoustic number, weaving patterns like Sieges Even. In the background we hear an array of sounds like leaves falling from a tree. The track then powers up like the wind. Meanwhile, the drums taps out the beat and the guitars carve out their circular rhythms. These are top class musicians, make no mistake. The tabla returns on “The Equinox”, mixing with the acoustic guitar again. It’s darker than we’ve heard so far. The rhythm here is reminiscent of those on Opeth’s “Damnation” album and conjures up a vision of day and night. Finally we have “The Dreaming”, which presents a harder, heavier face. Jazz strains prevail here. There’s some serious plucking going on here, but it’s not self-indulgent. In fact it all blends into an interesting punchy line and is as groovy as it gets. “The dreaming” manages to be both emotive and hard-edged at the same time.
I was knocked out by “The Living Measure of Time”. Having diverse elements is used to best advantage, as the band go where the mood takes, them, resulting in a delicate, but also extremely powerful concoction. Each track is a masterpiece. It is a shame this is just a mini album. It’s 30 minutes of sheer quality. “The Living Measure of Time” is a breath of fresh air.
http://www.myspace.com/jurojin
