SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: BADGE ÉPOQUE ENSEMBLE – BADGE ÉPOQUE ENSEMBLE

Badge Époque Ensemble
Badge Époque Ensemble
Telephone Explosion

If you don’t know the combined musical pedigree that Badge Époque Ensemble brings to their debut LP, you may be forgiven for wondering how they have been able to produce such an assured, full-formed sound. Bringing together a cast of Toronto musicians with vast experience, including several members of the U.S. Girls live band, Badge Époque Ensemble’s predominantly instrumental grooves come across as challenging, yet unique and refreshing.

“Milk Split on Eternity”’s six minutes contains more ideas and tonal shifts than most bands will manage on any album, jumping from blissed-out grooves to polyrhythmic freakouts in an instant, and James Baley’s gorgeous vocals on “Undressed in Solitude” provide an additional layer of joy, flitting in for a brief two minutes before the band take charge for another six minutes of densely packed psychedelia.

Fans of Tortoise will find a lot to enjoy with this sprawling, yet concise record, with each listen dragging something new out. It’s inspiring to know that so many musical boundaries can still be tugged at, pushed, and broken in 2019.

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