This week’s guide is by CF Smith and contributors, Words By Shoaib and Irfan Ayaan.
Hello Friday! It’s that time again where we dive headfirst into the new release wonderland, bringing you another week of under the radar gems. Welcome back to your sonic treasure hunt—our Between The Cracks guide! This week, WEB WEB, Cosmic Ear, The Vernon Spring, and more. Hopefully, you’ll stumble upon some new favourites that’ll have your finger twitching over the buy button. Check out latest our picks below!
Albums
WEB WEB – Plexus Plexus
German jazz outfit WEB WEB has been around for seven years. This is their sixth album – and it’s another impressive endeavour. We’ve reviewed all of their albums apart from their 2017 debut, Oracle. The prolific quartet, whose last two projects featured collaborations with Max Herre, consistently delivers high-quality music, even with such a fast output. Plexus Plexus is another sublime slice of jazz with a heavy leaning towards psychedelic and krautrock with help from special guest JJ Whitefield (The Poets Of Rhythm, Karl Hector & The Malcouns, Syrup). His riffs can get downright funky, like with the Poets Of Rhythm or Syrup. But catch him with Karl Hector & The Malcouns or joining Embryo for live and studio sessions, and you’ll find they take a more psychedelic turn. The tonal palette of his guitar propels the album into the realm of ’70s spacey jazz-kraut bands. WEB WEB and Whitefield have delivered an album that, although recorded in just two sessions, manages to pack an impressive punch. Plexus Plexus belies the short time spent in the studio, showcasing their ability to create something genuinely memorable in the blink of an eye. – CFS
Cosmic Ear – TRACES
Cosmic Ear’s debut album, TRACES, is a bold, spiritual statement in modern jazz. It doesn’t merely honour Don Cherry; it channels his legacy through a lush mix of global rhythms, meditative improvisation, and avant-garde instrumentation. With seasoned Scandinavian players like Christer Bothén and Mats Gustafsson, the ensemble crafts a sound rooted in history yet forward-looking. ‘Father and Son’ is a spellbinding opener, unfolding with hypnotic bass and wind textures that evoke a meditative trance. It sets a reflective mood that blends spacey, cosmic textures with a warm, personal feel. ‘Love Train’, a reimagining of Don Cherry’s 1974 piece, carries a deeply emotional current, melding spiritual depth with modern sensibilities. It’s as much a homage as it’s a reinvention. The album’s adventurous instrumentation, including donso n’goni, berimbau, and live electronics, infuses every moment with texture and intent. TRACES is not just a jazz record; it’s a conversation across time and continents. It feels timeless, urgent, and spiritually resonant, a landmark debut that rewards every listen. – WBS
The Vernon Spring – Under a Familiar Sun
Musician, composer and producer Sam Beste, aka The Vernon Spring, intertwines cinematic spoken word with ethereal piano, hushed vocals and ambient jazz textures on his new album, ‘Under a Familiar Sun’. Throughout this album, Beste delves into themes of family responsibility and environmental stewardship amidst global turmoil and chaos. His nimble fingers dance across the keys, creating a delicate foundation for his guest collaborators to roam free. The spoken word elements, particularly the contributions from acclaimed writer Max Porter, lend a poetic quality to the work. Elsewhere, Mustafa, blessed with Iko Niche’s hushed tones, serves up a fantastically fragmented and uneven vibe, complemented by field recordings. Tracks like “Esrever Ni Rehtaf” and “Counted Strings” truly shine, featuring the celestial vocals of New York-based polymath aden. Her voice floats effortlessly above the intricate piano vamps, providing a breathy counterpoint that enhances the album’s ethereal quality. The interplay between her vocals and Beste’s lush yet quirky arrangements creates an intriguing blend that is hard to resist. Click, listen and enjoy! – CFS
ESINAM & Sibusile Xaba – Healing Voices
Healing Voices marks the first collaborative album by Belgian-Ghanaian multi-instrumentalist ESINAM and South African guitarist and vocalist Sibusile Xaba. Afro-roots electro and cosmic jazz serve as the soundbed of Healing Voices. Throughout the album, the two multi-instrumentalists provide many different layers to their music, utilising rhythmic patterns, musical grooves and chanting vocals, which create spiritual trances. Drawing musical inspiration from Ghanaian Highlife and traditional songs of the Zulu and Ewe cultures, the duo offers a distinctly modern twist, where electronic gadgets enhance their acoustic sound. The album begins with “Flowing Keep Flowing, ” leading listeners into its therapeutic musical voyage through vibrant rhythms, joyful melodies, and complex instrumentation. The song “Ready to Love” demonstrates themes of love without conditions alongside ESINAM’s flute lines, partnered with Sibusile Xaba’s meticulous guitar playing. Healing Voices is a captivating cultural exchange, weaving musical experiences that beautifully bridge the future and the past. – WBS
Gryphon Rue – I Keep My Diamond Necklace in a Pond of Sparkling Water
Gryphon Rue has unveiled his new album, I Keep My Diamond Necklace in a Pond of Sparkling Water. It’s the latest manifestation of his creative methods with audio composition and his best work to date. A Closer Listen describes the album as a “woodsy record,” presenting a distinctive auditory experience through its mix of natural and electronic elements and various sound samples. Rue demonstrates his sonic intricacy through “Blue Eraser” by integrating ambient sound elements with minimal rhythmic patterns. Rue displays his mastery of environment development through the meditative “An Octave Below Thunder”, which features shifting soundscapes. Different instruments, field recordings, modular synthesis and unorthodox sampling approaches are key musical elements across the entire musical work. Combining different musical elements produces an album that presents experimental exploration while remaining approachable to listeners who can delve into Rue’s musical mind. I Keep My Diamond Necklace in a Pond of Sparkling Water represents an intriguing addition to Gryphon Rue’s work, thanks to its diverse soundscape, which simultaneously challenges listeners and brings them joy. – WBS
EP’s
Shell Company & Older Brother – Shards
Shards shatters expectations with its hypnotic fusion of trip-hop beats, mumbled vocals, and earthy guitars across four emotionally charged tracks. This Manchester/Glasgow trio collaborating with a London poet represents a compelling addition to the Mancunian sonic landscape. The EP unfolds like a nocturnal journey, chronicling the fragmentary process of breakdown and reconstruction. Voice notes exchanged between Manchester, London, and Lisbon evolved into sessions at Manchester’s The White Hotel before being refined in Glasgow’s sonic laboratories. The narrative arc positions vocalists Rosabella Allen (Shell Company) and Older Brother as emotional counterpoints, arguing, reflecting, and colliding across the soundscape crafted by brothers Rob and Chris Banks. On standout track 4U (Luv Thing), the repeated refrain IT’S NOT A LOVE THING/BUT IT’S A LOVE THING encapsulates the EP’s exploration of emotional limbo. Shards ultimately deliver exactly what their title promises, brilliant, cutting fragments that reflect both light and darkness in equal measure. – IA
