A lot of albums are the aural equivalent of conventional narrative films, with a bunch of rules regarding structure, pace and dramatization. However, there are also quite a few albums that have more in common with cinematic experiments that disband linear narratives and opt for less traditional ways of telling a story, by displaying a mood or addressing a theme.
Today and all the tomorrows is one of those releases that sounds like cinema for the ears, despite the fact that the ‘song’ order might seem random and that it might be hard to find a general arc. It is the kind of album that might be labeled a scrape & pluck fest by some, as this combination of two acoustic guitars and a double bass dismisses the instruments’ classic roles, offering a generous kind of freedom instead. Sound, texture and dynamics become the central issues, with Martina Verhoeven’s bass getting caught between two guitars offering a slightly deranged parody of rock & roll’s twin guitar attack.
In reality, Verhoeven firmly stands at the center of this music, flanked by two guitarists that get caught up in six three-way conversations. There is no agreed method or set of expectations and fixed ideas, but listen carefully, and you will notice how each piece has its own characteristics and turns the combination of personalities and approaches into something singular. If the opener sets a fickle tone, then the next one covers a wider range from gently rubbing sounds to jittery details and abrupt intervals.
“The piano ain’t got no wrong notes”, Thelonious Monk once declared, and the same works for these instruments, as some of the sounds produced would be grating in other surroundings, but work very well in this context. Just listen how the start of the fourth piece briefly seems to imitate a suspension bridge’s creaking. It is the restrained start of a trio improvisation that eventually ends up with drastic staccato gestures. Or the soft brushing of the strings in the penultimate one that returns to the sparseness of the third one.
So, no, this one won’t satisfy those who are looking for a clear-cut, carefully wrapped present that pushes all the right buttons, but if you are in for a challenge that turns all expectations about melody, harmony and rhythm on its head, you might find some revelations in this refreshing combination of the refined and cerebral with the intensely physical.
Guy Peters 2022
