Don't miss this one. Get in on the ground floor because the arrangements and vocal flights of fancy which seem to be the current signature of Cadence are exceptional. Four men who have had lifetimes of musical training met at York University in Toronto where they were all studying music. After a huge diversity of musical experience, they have focused their energies for the past couple of years on recreating the world of a cappella music. Frost Free, their first recording, is wonderful. Once again, words won't be able to do the slightest justice to the clever originality and breadth of musical vision which is presented here. Start with beautiful harmonies created by very pure voices. Take a songlist of familiar tunes, "Spinning Wheel," "Shape of My Heart," "I Wish," "Straighten Up and Fly Right," and more. Then add arrangements which occasionally add vocal sounds which you've never heard before (no matter how much you've listened to a cappella music) which are always used within a harmonious context of the whole arrangement. What do you get... originality, that's what you get! You get rap, you get rock, you get ballads, you get a lullaby, you get jazz - lots of jazz licks. When it helps to keep true to the original they create an amazing vocal similitude. You must listen to "Spinning Wheel" and then put on the Blood, Sweat and Tears version. Amazing! Or maybe you'll have your mind blown by the sweet close harmony of Paul Simon's "Slim Punky's Dilemma" as it morphs back and forth into the techno-rap lyrics of Public Enemy. This is one of the finest quartets to make an appearance in the a cappella scene in quite a while! |
