Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Dan already did an artist profile of these guys, and usually that would mean I wouldn’t bother writing an additional review of one of their albums. I would assume that if his description and audio clips peaked your interest enough you would check out the albums he mentioned, and if you liked those, would subsequently explore the rest of their discography. However these are not ordinary circumstances. I think it’s quite possible that some listeners who didn’t care much for These Are The Vistas or Prog could very well enjoy Give, and for this reason I present this review.

Although still undeniably the work of The Bad Plus, Give features some key differences with the previously mentioned albums… and it’s also my favorite TBP album I’ve heard thus far. It is busier and has a much more pronounced rock influence - two features which are likely to make this album appeal to a wider audience. In fact what made me purchase this album was two review snippets on the plastic wrapper, one from the Rolling Stone and the other from another popular rock magazine (I forget which it was now though). Now I don’t especially respect the opinions of magazines like these - nor do I automatically dismiss them - but I was intrigued that this experimental jazz trio would catch their attention.

First I’ll get my one main criticism out of the way - this album gets off to a bit of a slow start in my opinion. I won’t say there’s anything particularly wrong with the first few tracks, but to me things just don’t quite gel as well here as they do later on. Track four fires on all cylinders though: it’s got the melody, the beats, and a good amount of musical exploration without getting too abstract. You’ll hear this in the first audio clip above. The intro to track six is the second audio clip I chose; it highlights how the group builds chaos to create suspense until the final release when they all come together.

The seventh song starts off with an extended drum solo before shifting to a bright ragtime/stride piano feel. For me it was an unexpected yet welcome move. Track eight, Do Your Sums-Die Like A Dog-Play For Home, is super cool… I’ll just leave it at that so you can discover it for yourself. That’s followed by Dirty Blonde, which has a real cool feel although I can’t quite put my finger on it. I wanna say the chorus was influenced by traditional Spanish music but I’m not sure that’s correct. Then track 10 is a really chill laid-back tune with a lot of space between the notes. It’s a very pretty and welcome escape in my opinion.

Finally, Give ends with a cover of Iron Man - that’s right, the Black Sabbath song. And it’s freakin’ amazing! I don’t want to spoil all the fun for you but I will at least say that before the song ends it has been shifted to a major key. Many of you might think this should be illegal (and it probably should) but somehow they make it work perfectly so I won’t argue with it.

Some may find The Bad Plus to be too experimental; they certainly leave my comfort zone several times during this album. I do however respect that they test their boundaries and are not afraid to venture into the musical wilderness. I think any obnoxious listener will at least see that they are doing something unique, and really are a creative force to be reckoned with.