April 1, 2022
International Anthem Recording Co.
2xLP
Alabaster DePlume is a unique figure even by the standards of the UK’s idiosyncratic jazz scene and the equally unconventional roster of label International Anthem. Imagine if Bob Ross was from Manchester, could play the saxophone and had a voice that sounded like if Jarvis Cocker drank a bottle of brandy every day for 30 years and you’re on the right track. His new release, Gold - Go Forward in the Courage of Your Love runs the gamut from chamber jazz to ambient to folk with bits of musique concrete and spoken word thrown in. With how inventive the music is, it can take a few listens to notice how relentlessly positive and even funny of a lyricist DePlume is. While the encouraging tone of the album could easily cross over into being saccharine in less capable hands, DePlume makes something here that is affecting and interesting without being pretentious or overbearing.