This album is a companion to David Preston's 2023 debut under his own name: a set of recordings that confounded expectations as much as they delighted audiences. He went into the studio with a coherent set of compositions that focused on texture and mood as much as improvisational virtuosity, and a band of front-rank players whose ability to work outside the confines of genre matched his own. The sessions were so productive that they yielded two albums worth of material, of which this is the second. Like its predecessor, Purple/Black Volume 2 combines the unique talents of Kit Downes, Kevin Glasgow and Seb Rochford into an intuitively coherent unit that explores the carefully crafted material in a way that impresses with its focus and control as much as with its spontaneity. The result is an album that combines the directness and accessibility of mainstream popular music forms with the depth and subtlety of jazz.
Where Volume 1 presented a bright, extrovert personality, Volume 2 invites the listener to lean in to the music, the better to enjoy the intricacies that are hidden below the surface. "It's an invitation to come closer, now that you've met us." Opening tune 'Ostina' sets sail onto waves of rippling arpeggios into a harmonic odyssey, the blissful melody gliding across depths of dissonance. Piano and guitar switch between lead and accompanying roles throughout, notably on 'Deco' which provides a simple framework for musical exchange over a buoyantly grooving performance from Rochford. By contrast, 'When You Were Real' explores the freedom of the pulseless rhythm. "Kit and Seb are so great at expressing music that way, and making it mean something." There's a songbook standard feeling to 'Vespersong', full of interesting chords with a beautifully constructed solo from Kit, balancing freedom and melodic discipline. 'Casablanca 1913' continues the waltz-time mood to evoke David's travels in Morocco and the poignancy of the crumbling titular city. Kevin Glasgow and Seb Rochford move into the foreground again for 'Ennio' as the repeating melody provides the improvisational framework over their measured pulse, with more than a hint of the widescreen desert landscapes of the great Morricone soundtracks. 'Roma' has a relaxed swing feel with a hint of nostalgia for the Eternal City in the evocative volume pedal swells from David's guitar and Kit's superbly compositional piano. "Kit is so great at working with guitarists - he understands 'guitar-harmony' and how to play inside it." 'Karma Radio' and Sigsteetoo' both lean into the rock side, led by Seb's superbly magisterial drumming that shows his mastery of simplicity, unafraid to provide a straight pulse when required. Finally, 'Imortelle' - named for the flowers traditionally placed on gravestones - is the most rhythmically complex tune on the record but still sounds completely natural. "We push and pull the rhythm around a bit. There's a lot of space and it really fits this band and this record." All of the tunes were all recorded in one or two takes and each establishes its own emotional character before making room for the next, giving it the directness of a pop record. The accessibility of the textures draw the listener in, all the better to appreciate the complexity hidden within the depths. Volume 1 has proved itself as a critical and commercial success, and the project has continued to grow and develop as David has taken the band out on the road with an extensive touring schedule. The intimate and intricate Volume 2 is sure to consolidate on its appeal.
