Alabaster DePlume’s newest album, ‘Come with Fierce Grace’, is without a doubt a bold and daring testament to the deep and uncharted depths of creativity. The lengths that DePlume took in order to complete this musical masterpiece are definitely praiseworthy.
Largely playing around with improvisation sessions, Come With Fierce Grace was created with a raw and spontaneous disposition that only pushed the album to greater heights for its unique and personal musicality that listeners could certainly connect and relate with at a spiritual level.
Also known by his real name, Angus Fairbairn, Alabaster DePlume goes wild with mixing and mashing together different musical genres into one coherent album that still retains that sense of direction and flow despite the inclination towards variety.
Like a sword put into the flame, the result of DePlume’s focused yet loose approach to the creation of Come With Fierce Grace has produced a musical album that oozes with uniqueness and a genuine connection to the inner creative capacities that DePlume and his collaborators were able to unlock from within.
Come With Fierce Grace is human; it is an authentic collection of tracks that — while still possessing a foundation at its core, allows for enough room to be its own thing. Building on the experiences and talents of each and every musician who has played a part in its conception.
Things kick off with ‘Sibomandi’, a track that features the skilled percussionist Falle Nioke. The introductory song is a rhythmic treat that also serenades listeners with mystical vocals that tell of things to come. Tracks in the album, namely ‘To That Voice And Say’, ‘Give Me Away’, ‘Fall on Flowers’, and ‘Levels of Human’ continue to embellish Come with Fierce Grace with percussive flavors that keep listeners on the groove as DePlume continues to brand the songs in the album with his signature chops on the sax that echoes memorable and enchanting improvised melodies that only adds to the authenticity of Come With Fierce Grace. And, speaking of DePlume’s stellar skill on the saxophone, the same raw and powerfully charged melodic ecstasy is seen in other tracks of the album, such as the ominous and mellow song ‘What Can It Take’, and the silky smooth musical flavours that progressively ascend into a satisfying crescendo provided by ‘Greek Honey Slick’ which features Tom Skinner on the drums.
Ever true to the identity of Come With Fierce Grace as an album unconstrained when it comes to exploring multiple genres — tracks such as ‘Did You Know’ that features Momoko Gill and MettaShiba, and ‘Naked Like Water’ which involves vocals from Donna Thompson definitely add more depth to the album.
‘Not Even Sobbing’ and ‘The Best Thing In The World’ return to the sombre and bare saxophonic melodies that DePlume enchants his album with. As the musical journey takes listeners on a fulfilling auditory adventure, the album finally reaches its peaceful conclusion with ‘Broken Again’.
The liberating and candid vibe of Come With Fierce Grace perfectly encapsulates the ability of DePlume to endlessly expand his musical horizons beyond the area of comfort and familiarity.
Building on improvised musical sessions that also played a part in the creation of his similarly acclaimed album ‘Gold’, Come With Fierce Grace is a powerful jazzy, lo-fi, and percussive collection that speaks volumes of the musical prowess of Alabaster DePlume.
