THE HERENESS AND NOWNESS OF THINGS

Exploring a style of music that will have to be described as heavily world music-inspired with some jazzy flavouring, Esthema manage to blend characteristics of several distinct flavours of folk music with jazz in a neat and interesting manner on this latest endeavour of theirs.

With rhythms and guitars more often than not providing jazzy flavours with nods in the direction of Django Reinhardt and the gypsy tradition, skilful use of oud and bouzouki respectively adds touches from Arabian/Persian and Greek folk music to these compositions, while the violin visits each of these three styles in it's everlasting wandering from passage to passage and song to song.

The end result is an inspired album, perhaps a bit too much like itself as it moves towards the end but very well made and performed non the less. Especially for those who might find such a blend of styles intriguing, obviously.