Over the years, pianist Carolyn Hume and percussionist Paul May have consolidated their repute through a series of duo recordings that were reasonably acclaimed by the “specialized” press. From the very outset, Kill The Lights offers calm and rather essential music, informed by outspread resonances and measured movements. Hume’s piano and electronic keyboards apply graceful harmonic brushstrokes, sometimes in hypnotically minimal fashion. May’s percussive soul treads paths between the severely ritual and the mildly grating, rarely invading the colleague’s quiet range of action with harsher substances. Guitarist Bernd Rest adds diaphanous chordal shades when required.
Frankly, we almost never managed to escape from a “classy soundtrack” vibe: discreetly pleasurable for a large part, but lacking profoundness in terms of authentic research. Summarizing to the extreme, nice timbres, effective closeness, but no trace of pivotal compositional intuitions. It’s okay for a while, but after a couple of attentive listens it’s hard to distinguish dimensions of genuine significance beyond the unquestionable elegance of the acoustic dress.
MASSIMO RICCI. TOUCHING EXTREMES. 