Alluring, masterful and above all, talented
The newest Joshua Crumbly album, ForEver, brings together soothing electronic tones and musical sounds to create an air of wonder, slight sadness and mystery. The album is oozing with expertise and style, particularly with the bass—a skill that Crumbly has been harboring since the age of 10, when he made his first musical debut. Coming from a musical family, Crumbly has been a musical artist since childhood, inspired by his saxophonist father. His talents were only strengthened when he attended the prestigious art school, Julliard, where he was mentored by an array of iconic bassists. This is Crumbly’s second studio album after his 2020 release, Rise.
Perhaps it’s the Los Angeles influence (Crumbly is a Los Angeles native), but ForEver sounds like something more than jazz. It brings a light quality to the usual richness that jazz tends to have. There’s a smidge of funk, a bit of edge and a bit of electronic, which creates a delicate, perfectly different jazz sound.
The edge can be heard throughout the album, like in “Reflection.” There’s an ultra smoothness to the song, but the slightest, ever so gentle beat brings a bite to the tune. The funk and electronic can be heard in “Kolkata,” which can only be described as space jazz. It’s the sound of floating in hyper speed, of curiosity of unknown worlds (and sounds). It’s almost like a dream-like trance piece, with plucks of bass playing it out until the end.
There’s an air of mystery and sensuality with the song “C.S.C..” It slinks forward as the cymbal plays, slowly bringing out other beats throughout the song. There’s one sad note throughout that rings out into the song until the end—odd, a bit sad, but calming. There’s an oddness that emanates from “THREE” as well, which has a repeating bass beat before filling out with cymbals and the distant cry of a horn instrument. The listener will never be quite sure where this song will take them, but it becomes clear that the horn is taking them there, as it is a stellar standout of the track.
“Family” brings with it a wave of sadness. It sounds like standing by the ocean on a day where the fog hangs low on the water. There’s a sense of longing with this track, a longing so evident that it almost hurts to listen to. The repeating beat becomes a mantra. While there is longing, there is also healing. This song brings with it the sadness of letting go but knowing that letting go is the right choice (that doesn’t mean it won’t hurt, of course.)
This is completely different from “We’ll Be (Good),” which brings warm light to the album. This song makes itself known with a strong beat and cymbals that don’t ring out but, rather, stay in their place. A tambourine makes its way in the mix, but it’s not nearly as fun as the rhythmic clicking sound that finds itself at the peak of the song. It fades out into what can be described as the sound of emptiness. A sound so full is followed by a sound so empty, with the whisper of a ghostly wind chime.
Crumbly is able to mold sound into a story without words. His talent seeps its way into each and every song, making more than just the genre of jazz, electronic or indie; ForEver is something entirely his own.
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