Atlanta-based ensemble Wabi Sabi recently released their fourth album, The Love Insane, using a very different process than they’re used to. Known for their inspiring, high-energy live shows, this jazz-rock band thrives on the energy of working as an ensemble, but, according to vocalist, producer, and band leader Damian Cartier, COVID necessitated a different approach.
“This is the first of our albums that I have produced myself. I was working on a couple of singles when Covid hit, and then I just started programming some new and old songs that I had never properly recorded. Then, one by one, I replaced all the parts with real Wabi Sabi musicians. We have never done an album this way, but Covid mixed with having a spare bedroom home studio seemed like the perfect time to try,” says Cartier.
Even with the album being done piecemeal, Wabi Sabi’s psychedelic jazz jam band personality and ability to genre hop is still alive and kicking, in part because Cartier took such an active hand in production, but he shares it was a collaborative process as always.
Cartier explains, “The horns, strings, and most of the lead vocals were cut at Brighter Shade Studios engineered by John Driskell Hopkins who had produced two of our earlier albums. Wes Funderburk wrote all the brilliant horn and string arrangements.”
Album opener “The Truth” delivers an elegant piano intro, followed by segueing into a lush blend of jazz and rock flavors as Cartier’s gentle, evocative voice imbues the lyrics with warm timbres.
Entry points include the smooth, retro-feel of the title track, highlighted by drawling guitars and oh-so-right silky, gleaming coloration. Merging soul, R&B, and country savors, this might be the best track on the album because of its luscious undulating motion.
Akin to a Steely Dan-in-a-spaceship bop, “New Life,” features bravura brass textures, along with the smoky, sensuous vocals of Cartier.
Another gem of a track, “The Weirdo Blues” drips with oily surfaces of funk fused with rock, resulting in a luscious sing-song flow exuding trippy hints of psychedelia.
With The Love Insane, Wabi Sabi offers a wonderfully wrought, distinctively diverse melding of an array of stylistic aspects.
