A SACRIS

Around this point in Sébastien Gramond's career, the man was very much going in two separate directions with his music. While the styles remain as diverse for him as they ever have been, his songwriting can be divided either into seemingly improvised instrumental jams, or very gradually building, often highly complex pieces. On the 2002 album 'A Sacris', the listener is given a good picture of what both of these approaches are like for Gramond, often merging the two within one compositions. However, this album is not only polar for that, but also the styles heard here. One part of this album is heavily reliant on the typical jazz-based jam rock style, and the other an intricate baroque organ foray. What results from this is an album that has something for virtually everyone, but feels somewhat disjointed as an album.

The jam rock portion of this album entails the middle three tracks; 'Does It Really Matter', 'Nervous Escape' and 'Crashed Down'. Each of these tracks have some interesting things going on throughout their somewhat loose nature. Generally revolving around a greater theme, instruments will each take their turns at lead work; even a violin plays a role in the jam. Of course, all of these instruments are played by Sébastien Gramond himself, who is undoubtedly a talented multi-instrumentalist. However, in terms of the songwriting itself, these tracks do not feel like any development from the sort of music the man has made in the past. With that being said, it is the opening, and closing tracks that make up the best that 'A Sacris' has to offer.

While three tracks on 'A Sacris' are fairly typical songs for Sébastien Gramond, the album's highlight rests on Gramond's experimentation with baroque organ work here. While organs are put in some intermittent use throughout the three jam rock songs ('Crashed Down' in particular), the first and last songs on 'A Sacris' are almost completely driven by this element, as well as what I could consider to be some of the best vocals I've thus heard from the man. With the closing track coming to mind in particular, Gramond overdubs his voice a few times over to create a one-man choir, in the style of Gregorian chants. Mixed along with some classical organ work, one does get the impression of a piece in the style of Bach, which is not usually seen in modern music. While I have not often been a big fan of Gramond's vocal work on past albums, his voice does really shine in how well the choral elements come together.

A good album, but the three jam tracks do feel ultimately unnecessary when compared to the baroque numbers.

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