Metalwood, the Canadian jazz-funk foursome, makes some departures on their third record, incorporating drum'n'bass and hip-hop elements on "Isthmus of Drum," "Phone Home" (which sounds a bit like
Portishead), and "Metalcode" (a bonus remix). Keyboardist Brad Turner turns to acoustic piano for the first time on a
Metalwood disc, adding a bright sheen to the washy interlude "Moonrocks" and the elegant "Will I Dream?" and "Mr. Willis." The band also cooks in their customary way on the kinetic groove tunes "Bijou," "Them," and "Bombergirl." Turner and bassist
Chris Tarry remain the band's chief composers, but as on previous albums, spontaneous in-studio collaborations take up about a quarter of the program. Highlights among the structured tunes include
Tarry's snarling "Monday Night Meltdown" and Turner's anthemic "Time Being." ~ David R. Adler