Empirical are a band who have changed a great deal over the years. At their heart, they are about what Shaney Forbes and Nathaniel Facey bring to the table. The drummer and alto saxophonist have been there since the beginning. But the Empirical that started out was a very different entity. Kit Downes was on the eponymous debut that made their name, and although he has long since departed, his mantle is effectively taken up here by Ivo Neame, who makes a real difference. His soloing on ‘Drogon’ is first class.
No longer a band featuring vibraphone – they were for a long while, when the excellent Lewis Wright was a prominent member – this incarnation also benefits from guitarist David Preston guesting. That’s a good thing because, to be frank, I think Empirical had gone off the boil a little. This new version of the band lifts them back towards their former heights.
If I had one criticism, it would be that the central suite is a little too ponderous at times. The album’s energy levels dip a little too much, particularly in the opening part of the suite.
Long-term member Tom Farmer – who I believe is touring with sitar star Anoushka Shankar this year – once again makes his presence felt. He’s one of the UK’s finest jazz bassists, and only a player of his calibre could negotiate the frequent twists and turns of this music at the level he achieves.
Preston is particularly strong on ‘Giants’, where the band takes a robust jazz-rock direction and finds a sound that sits well alongside what Emma Rawicz has been exploring. It’s a highly cerebral album that demands close attention. That’s not a criticism, but you’ll probably gain a fuller appreciation of what they’re doing after a third or fourth listen, when the power of this new sound begins to settle in.
The standout moments? Definitely when Facey adopts an almost Jan Garbarek-like quality on ‘The Garden of Beginnings’ and on the closing track, ‘Divine Revelation’. The latter, in particular, has a sense of momentousness, both in mood and weight.
