Label: self released
Personnel - Cody Steinmann: guitar; Chris Bates: bass; Abinnet Berhanu: drums.
Minneapolis-based guitarist and composer Cody Steinmann tales the isolation of the Covid-19 lockdown and themes of spiritual growth with crushing noise textures and streamlined melodies on his sophomore album, Confined Spaces. The guitarist works with bassist Chris Bates and drummer Abinnet Berhanu, expressing his stream-of-consciousness reactions within a rock-centric framework.
Bookending the album is “Abide With Me”, a homage to Thelonious Monk and a plea for resilience in today’s challenging world. The opening rubato version feels than the closing rendition. Supporting the distorted guitar itineraries and surprising harmonic colors are robust bowed bass foundations and cymbal legatos.
The second track, “Not Sappy at All”, bursts forth as an energetic, exceptionally musical alternative rock song with infectious feel-good vibes, a seismic mass of sonic pollution, and rhythmic agility in a shredding, danceable exploration. Steinmann’s guitar shifts pitch via synth effects near the track’s end.
Without diminishing the compositional rigor, the abrasive “Ben” opens with a suggestive guitar introduction before leading us into a steady 4/4 rhythmic flux topped by inside/outside guitar inflections. Meanwhile, “Lust” makes its bed with a crisp bass figure, laying down an early groove that welcomes exploratory chording and melodic flourishes. The three-time feel becomes salient at a certain point, before a five-beat vamp settles in.
The album’s jazziest offering is “Dodo Birds Aren’t Dumb Humans Are”, featuring sinuous, chromatic lines performed with a free-bop posture. There’s also a country-tinged surprise in “Red River Valley”, where Steinmann delivers slippery lines as Berhanu gooses him with snappy brushwork. The title cut, “Confined Spaces”, explores a dense mesh in a boisterous arrangement that includes an articulate bass solo, extended heavy-breathing guitar reflections, and a drummer-led vamp.
On balance, Confined Spaces is deftly executed, often marked by rock potency and ruthless determination. Its intoxicating narratives are likely to resonate more with alternative rock enthusiasts than with jazz purists.
Favorite Tracks:
02 - Not Sappy at All ► 03 - Ben ► 05 - Dodo Birds Aren’t Dumb Humans Are
