With the release of Volume 2, multi-reedist and bandleader John MacMurchy leads Art of Breath, a group of superb Toronto-based musicians, on a journey that crosses borders and traditions. The album touches on love, loss, and politics, with MacMurchy’s sophisticated but accessible arrangements highlighted throughout by breathtaking vocal and instrumental performances.
The tune “WTF” swings hard and heavy — full of driving bass, searing guitar, yawing trombone and sci-fi keyboards. But for all its relentless forward momentum, the song retains a laser-cut precision, its many facets lending the tune a gemlike brilliance.
