Blending a string of new compositions with some songs which have been live staples for the best part of twenty years, the trio of Eric Fratzke, Dave King and Michael Lewis as Happy Apple believe that with their New York CD they have finally managed to capture the essence of their sound. That notion is impossible to dispute as they come barreling out of the gates with Kingās skittering percussion and the klaxon calls of Lewisās tenor saxophone, while Fratzke casts an ample net under their livewire act through deft arcs of his electric bass.
Itās an up-front and intimate sound, especially through the close-miking of Kingās drums, though the band can also engage in slowed down or slinkier numbers, like on the spacious and sometimes dolorous or even elegiac āBlack and Blue Magicā or the sinuous āTurquoise Jewelryā, which is a gem of a centrepiece. On another standout in āVanity Plateā the turbid and taciturn bass of Fratzke adds to a winding groove, while Kingās gambolling behind the drum set takes on a more strident and martial tone especially through the extended solo of the penultimate āWhite Belt Rockā.
Together as Happy Apple the Minneapolis veterans sound more taut and wiry than ever before, as they broach free jazz and harmolodic funk, trenchant blues and the churn of progressive rock through their typically brusque extemporisations, with the bass stirring up a few dubbier sediments and even a touch of glam on the closer āThe Broad Side of the Silent Barnā, which channels the T. Rex chart-topper āGet It Onā.
