Formed after playing together at the 2009 World Saxophone Congress in Bangkok with the London Saxophone Ensemble, the Syzygy Quartet have plenty to say on their debut album Songs for the Coming Day.
Formed of a new piece composed by David Maslanka, the Syzygy Quartet have been the only ensemble in Europe to be awarded the performing and recording rights to Songs for the Coming Day.
This piece of information should tell you the quality and respectfulness towards music that this quartet showcases on this album without even listening to a note.
From beginning to end, there is sombre and gentle quality about the album that really makes the listener sit up and pay attention to and appreciate from beginning to end.
There is a richness and high quality that comes through from all of the performances on the album, but particularly on ‘Awakening’ and ‘Letting Go of the Past’ that seems particularly heartfelt.
It is also down to the composition of the tracks by Maslanka that allows the recording of it to be clear and consistent throughout and proving that music is at its best when it is at its most simple.
But despite the warmth of the album as a whole, there are the occasional moments which seem to jar and not quite fit in with the context of the rest of the album -particularly on ‘The Soul is Here for its Own Joy’, which although adds another layer to the album, it also disrupts the flow and make the performances slightly awkward.
Aside from that, there isn’t anything that is forced or unnatural and the whole album has a poetic feel about it that is reflected in the song titles such as ‘When I Cannot Wait for Love I Wait for Morning’.
At times it can feel as though there is too much going on in songs that make it seem as though it is a bit self-indulgent in places but this doesn’t get in the way of the performances that are delivered over and over again.
It is a beautiful piece of music that is performed with great understanding and thought by the Syzygy Quartet.
Songs for the Coming Day by the Syzygy Quartet is available to buy and download from Amazon now.