Kneebody

Rather than simply picking up where they left off, "Reach" feels like a full firmware upgrade: the same circuits, now running smoother and more elegantly. With this new studio chapter — their first since 2019 — US-based Kneebody return to a nu jazz landscape now largely dominated by European acts, yet they remain one of the genre’s most compelling outliers across the Atlantic.

The title track “Reach” sets the tone: abstract, razor-sharp, almost algorithmic, in the same field of English math prodiges Three Trapped Tigers. It could easily soundtrack a first-person sci-fi puzzle game — if not for Shane Endsley’s lanky trumpet lines, which stretch jazz back into the circuitry. “Top Hat” pushes the horn dynamics even further, but the real energy comes from the collision between Adam Benjamin’s kaleidoscopic keyboards and the uneven depths of the rhythm section, led by drummer Nate Wood — a standout name in the scene for his inventive grooves. It’s Wood again who flips the vibe on “Lo Hi”, a piece that starts still but soon distorts into a tense mirror game, without ever breaking stride. “Say So” closes the record on a more accessible note, with a catchy melodic line carried by the keys (and, in fact, by the drums and bass — both also played by Wood). Meanwhile, Ben Wendel’s saxophone moves in measured, expressive phrases until the whole structure lifts and branches in all directions.

"Reach" is neither a bold statement nor a manifesto. It’s a thoughtful, tightly crafted, solidly executed record. Its strength lies precisely there: in the balance it strikes between control and playfulness, power and poise, always shifting between sharp angles and soft contours — without ever slipping into self-indulgence.

07/05/2025