Let’s be fair—the notion of mapping exotic journeys to expansive music is hardly a novel one. Both Yes and Emerson, Lake & Palmer gave their listeners maps and landscapes of fantastic worlds inside their album sleeves, so that you could imagine yourself on a pilgrimage while you sat by the turntable. I suspect I’ve told the tale before, about the time my brother and I listened together to ELP’s “Pirates” for the first time; at some point, as the epic suite sailed forth, we exchanged a single glance of mute awe. And that wonder didn’t fade for a while. But, years on, the old-fashioned moralizing wedged into the voyage killed the thrill somewhat. Such was the problem with many a classic epic in prog: once the artist projected opposing forces of the cosmos into the story, the whole thing wasn’t fun anymore.
Thankfully, Identikit know what’s up. “Horizons” might be seven minutes long, but this quirky jazz caravan won’t bore us with obtuse morality tales about good and evil. Instead, we fly through whimsical jungles and across turbulent seas, with each player ready to turn a new direction any second. If I’m reading the bossa nova parts right (which, FYI, smack of Ben Folds for some reason), our adventurers have stumbled upon an ancient volcanic civilization, lorded by (duh) a huge magma monstrosity that scorched everything to ash ages ago. Things get a bit Lovecraft-ish toward the end, but otherwise Identikit let us roam carefree through their tropical romp.
As far as I know, “Horizons” marks the most ambitious trip that the collective has embarked on yet. It’s not overly ambitious, though, which is why I’m down for the journey.
Identikit will perform tonight at Hendershots Coffee alongside Athens Tango Project. Doors open at 8 p.m. Admission is $10/$7 with student ID.
More Info
Bandcamp: identikitatl.bandcamp.com
Facebook: @identikitatl