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If “Burst Through The Borders” had a chilled heart and a spacious way about it, “Twisted Cord” moves with a more confident stride. There is still the wonderful drifting sounds and gossamer textures in evidence but this time they are draped over a more funky, riff-driven, and groovesome beast.
Again with Ruth Blake contributing on vocals, the track wanders some unusual cultural pathways. Clearly the sound of a modern experimental band, this of-the-moment musicality is tempered with some much more traditional sounds; cool Indian Raga grooves, deft and delicate Flamenco motifs and Olivia Moore’s beguiling, arabesque violin and the result is a wonderful take on a world music sound and perhaps a reminder of what an odd term “world music” even is.
All music is world music, in a way, it’s all music of this world. But what “Twisted Cord” shows us is that world music has a new function. Instead of representing different cultural traditions, perhaps it now reflects the truly cosmopolitan and culturally connected world we find ourselves in today. Perhaps world music should be built on cultural clashes and connectivity and musical collaborations and collisions and the end result should be as diverse and different as the world that it represents. If that is the role of world music in the modern age, then “Twisted Cord” is a users manual and how-to guide of achieving such perfect blends that brings those glorious traditions and musical tribes together.
It’s a cool song, a very cool song indeed.
