Released: November 2011
One new act that made quite an impact in the second half of 2011 was the duo Finn Silver, consisting of producer and composer Mark Berman and lyricist and vocalist Fridolijn van Poll. Their debut album Crossing The Rubicon was released on their own Jazzberry label at the start of the summer, and gradually a buzz began to build around the album, with P-Vine picking the album up for a Japanese release in November.
Recorded at the Jazzanova studios in Berlin, Berman and van Poll managed to assemble a talented group of musicians for the session including the likes of in-demand drummer Richard Spaven, the young and talented alto saxophonist Ben van Gelder, and Dutch free jazz bassist Ernst Glerum. The result is an exquisite set of songs that include a variety of influences including pop, jazz, hip-hop and electronic grooves.
The album opens with the single Roadtrip, a classy tune that ticks all the right boxes. It's catchy and has elements of pop, jazz and electronica all held together by Richard Spaven's tight drumming and Fridolijn's sublime voice. Fertile Soil has more of a bluesy jazz feel to it, with some fine sax from Ben van Gelder, and is a song that demands repeated listens.
The Jazzanova production adds a certain warmth to the set, particularly evident on Sitting On The Shore, a soulful mid-tempo number, which again allows Richard Spaven to really shine, and the superb Play With Fire.
Other essential tunes include Kidnapped By Butterflies, which has something of a drum'n'bass feel, and the downtempo Lies Within, a song with a catchy refrain that grows in intensity as it progresses.
Crossing The Rubicon has to be one of the most impressive debuts of 2011 and retrospectively deserves a place as one of my albums of the year. Finn Silver have arrived in style and are an act well worth looking out for. They will be playing a series of live shows in Japan this week and should not be missed.
The Jazzanova production adds a certain warmth to the set, particularly evident on Sitting On The Shore, a soulful mid-tempo number, which again allows Richard Spaven to really shine, and the superb Play With Fire.
Other essential tunes include Kidnapped By Butterflies, which has something of a drum'n'bass feel, and the downtempo Lies Within, a song with a catchy refrain that grows in intensity as it progresses.
Crossing The Rubicon has to be one of the most impressive debuts of 2011 and retrospectively deserves a place as one of my albums of the year. Finn Silver have arrived in style and are an act well worth looking out for. They will be playing a series of live shows in Japan this week and should not be missed.
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