On their third studio album, 2020's warmly delivered
Wherein Lies the Good, New York-based brass quartet
the Westerlies further distinguish themselves as an adventurous and sophisticated ensemble. Once again showcased are trumpeters
Riley Mulherkar and
Chloe Rowlands, and trombonists
Andy Clausen and
Willem de Koch. Together they play a lyrically kinetic brand of contemporary instrumental music grounded in classical traditions, but with a liberal ear for folk, jazz, and avant-garde elements. It's an approach they developed while students in Seattle, working with longtime
John Zorn-associate keyboardist
Wayne Horvitz. In fact, it was
Horvitz's own genre-crossing music that
the Westerlies explored on their 2014 debut,
Wish the Children Would Come On Home. Since then they have continued to develop their sound, moving into original works, and collaborating on yet more ambitious projects with artists like
Fleet Foxes,
Common,
Vieux Farka Toure,
Dave Douglas, and others. Here, they return to their bold quartet approach, crafting arrangements that breathe and sway with their textured brass sounds. Some tracks, like the opening "Robert Henry," have a pulsing, circular quality that brings to mind the modern classical works of
Steve Reich. Elsewhere, they strike a more traditional stance, evoking the pastoral style of
Aaron Copland and
Leonard Bernstein on the dusky "From the Very First Time," which also features a probing, post-bop-inflected ensemble solo section. There are also rich jazz and gospel intimations throughout as
the Westerlies delve into bluesy, plunger-muted accents on "Travelin' Shoes" and the soulful "Do Unto Others." Equally compelling are cuts like the lush,
Stan Kenton-esque "Laurie" (an homage to the late trumpet educator
Laurie Frink) and the dissonant, modernist-sounding "Chickendog and Woodylocks." They bring all of their varied influences to bear on the three-part album closer, "Entropy," a far-eyed and cinematic piece that speaks to
the Westerlies' ever-expanding aural palette.