New York-based Nick Bohensky and Max N'Adamo have been creating music together for decades, first in the New Jersey alternative rock band Bald Red Lady, and then within the six-piece experimental prog outfit The 16 Deadly Improvs. They decided to work on a duo project during Covid, which turned into their new release titled The Imphilosible EP.
The guys call this music “contemplative, progressive rock with introspective lyrics. With this EP we wanted to capture contemplative lyrical themes against music inspired by our appreciation of progressive rock, featuring (but not limited to) lots of mellotron and unlikely musical departures.” Bohensky handles guitars, keyboards and programming, while N’Adamo adds lyrics and vocals. Influences cited are Radiohead, Porcupine Tree, Pink Floyd and Massive Attack. Some songs came from ideas Bohensky laid down on his iPhone while on a work trip or vacation, while others were built up from his keyboard or programmed tracks. These tracks were sent to N’Adamo to add lyrics, melodies and harmonies in his New York apartment. Friends and other collaborators added parts along the way. Audacity and Reaper were used for vocals, with Garageband and Logic for most everything else. When “Forwards/Backwards” starts, I thought I was in for rap album. It begins with just a beat and multiple overdubs of N’Adamo’s spoken vocals. Bohensky’s bass comes in with real aggression, leading into the song proper which clearly owes a debt to Radiohead. The beats are solid (thanks to drummer Dave Wilson), the bass simple and insistent, and the electric guitar plays minimal riffs that are multiplied by digital delay. N’Adamo’s vocals return with a great number of processed variations. Overall a cool track with a spacey vibe that won’t tax your brain too much. “Syllogism” is another surprise, beginning with a classical guitar picking pattern along with bass by Jeff Bridl and drums by Dušan Beňadik (these two also anchor the next song). This track has a dark, smoky vibe with the bass providing a low and slippery feel like the late Jaco Pastorious. N’Adamo does not rap here, instead providing more traditional vocals and harmonies which fit the moody feel of the track perfectly. Bohensky takes a short electric lead that’s surprising and satisfying, and the background faux strings have a mellotronic majesty. Overall this song was more up my alley and I had to play it over again immediately, and for me it justifies the entire EP. The title track “The Imphilosible” has one of those intentionally incorrect names that computers hate. The arrangement is again based pretty far down in the sonic netherworlds, while the picked pattern is played on electric guitar with a lot of flanging. N’Admao’s vocals are again more straightforward and seem to call and respond between verses. There’s a middle section where N’Adamo takes a stunning vocal solo, with a sudden explosion of prog rock majesty that had me thinking of Genesis’ The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway. I didn’t think it possible but this track already supplanted “Syllogism” as my favorite. The closing “Gestalt” is the longest track at seven minutes, and again features drummer Dave Wilson. It’s clear now that the Mellotron is a big part of these guy’s sound, though I’m sure it’s virtual and not one of the huge classic keyboards from the ’70s. Given the longer length here, the boys take their time and build the track slowly, keeping things simple and holding back any big fireworks. N’Adamo’s lyrics are story-like but analytical: “I couldn’t understand the rigidity / I couldn’t countenance the lack of symmetry / I couldn’t discern the looks of consternation / I couldn’t comprehend the language that wasn’t spoken.” Kelly Hiphorns (perfect name) takes a trumpet-like flugelhorn solo that adds a cool jazz element. This whole package was a great surprise and definitely worth a listen and download!
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