Space Owl’s latest release, a killer jam between a handful of tasteful masters, titled ‘Mountain Song’, is a momentous piece of music that carefully straddles the lines between jazz, funk, and rock and roll.
Seattle based Space Owl is a supergroup which revels in accessible, yet unusual, textures and compositions. Formed of experimental jazz and funk guitarist Ari Joshua, Drummer John Ewing, and keyboardist David Applebaum, the group’s sound is a healthy mix of wonky compositions, eccentric guitar solos, and endless, unsettled grooves from Ewing, and ‘Mountain Song’ is no exception.
Populated by the psychedelia-filled guitar layers from Joshua, the song is about an unforgettable expedition the group of friends made to the top of a treacherous mountain. Written directly after that expedition, the piece’s generous runtime reflects the entire day, from its psychedelic sunrise to the unfurling adventures that followed.
The piece’s multiple key changes, whimsical timbres, and difficult-to-interpret rhythmic acrobatics make ‘Mountain Song’ a very engaging piece of music, and being almost entirely devoid of singing, the attention naturally goes to the tasteful performances the band deliver across the board.
‘Mountain Song’ is festive and entertaining, while being musically enthralling and memorable. The production is snappy and crisp, in particular on the lush drumming part, fantastically performed by Ewing. The guitar arrangement is rich and layered, and the group vocals are humorous. For those into this type of music, ‘Mountain Song’ will be an immediate banger.
