The Samuel Jackson Five
Easily Misunderstood

Via chat, often while talking with friends, you discover talented groups that, for one reason or another, often end up forgotten. A few days ago, I was introduced to The Samuel Jackson Five, and I must say I wasn't prepared for such a wonderful band. I often receive a lot of junk through the web, which immediately ends up in the trash.
After downloading their discography, consisting of two albums, I decided to listen randomly to "Easily Misunderstood." It only took a few seconds to realize it was a bomb. At the end of the album, I was left staring at the void that had formed around me.
I don't want to exaggerate, but I hadn't listened to an album like that since "Blissard" by Motorpsycho. And I hadn't listened to an album twice in two hours for a long time.

The album in question is the second released, dated 2005, and it seems to have been one of the best instrumental albums of that year.
From the very start of the listening session, I realized that there was something new, something interesting to discover about everything this group has done. Calm and gentle atmospheres that almost always transform into explosive sounds, which Scandinavian groups, in particular, have always accustomed us to delivering.

The album opens with vintage sounds, which are never missing in this type of band—a focused search, very Floydian. But already in the second track, traits similar to Motorpsycho of "Phanerothyme" emerge. And I began to think: "It might be that this group includes someone who collaborated with Motorpsycho." A brief search quickly disproved this hypothesis.
One thing that certainly differs is the total absence of vocals, so I could immediately place them among post-rock groups, but what makes me unsure is the track "Person Most Likely To Enjoy The Taste Of Human Flesh", which has clear similarities with another Norwegian group, Jaga Jazzist. The presence of saxophones and trumpets played in an improvisational jazz manner in the central piece, then returning to more rock rhythms, rich in this case with violins and cellos. Almost all the tracks feature changes in rhythm and genre; in "No Name", for example, their closeness to Mogwai is obvious. This seventh track starts relaxed with a Rhodes piano accompanied by bass and drums, then opens into a cacophony of heavy electric guitars.

The album is well recorded, with an eleven-track list that is well balanced, capable of evoking emotions listen after listen. The last track, "Switch Ambulance Trip", is an unexpected piece of extreme beauty. With a breathtaking intro of cello and bass clarinet, then accompanied by Rhodes and theremin. The album ends, and you wonder: is it over already?
Unfortunately, as with all things of significant depth to which one pays manic attention, time passes more quickly.
This album is recommended for those tired of the usual whine.