Isaac Joel - Back to Bassics (Self-Released)

Isaac Joel is bass player for up-and-comers Pomegranates, who will shortly release their next album. Back to Bassics is a little six-song cassette that highlights Joel’s work, and it’s a fine little release in its own right. It is him and his bass guitar, and from the sounds of it, it’s only his bass guitar and his voice. Sure, of these six songs, two are short snippets of ambient sounds that are less than a minute and a half in length, but it’s the other four songs that impress. “If I Hear Music” features his sweet, angelic voice over an ominous bass loop, making something that sounds not quite right, but when he throws in the harmonies, it suddenly becomes all right. “Selflessness” is a pretty, Brian Eno styled number, with hazy vocals that falls right into the ambiance. “Walk Around the Lake” is an epic that starts with him singing a Capella, which then blossoms with more harmonies over a backing that’s equal parts jazzy and death-metal. Its pulse slows down to a crawl, but that’s okay; it captivates as it beguiles. But then, after all this post-rock, he throws a real curve-ball, with an utterly gorgeous cover of “All I Have to Do is Dream.” Back to Bassics may be the sort of release that tides over the hardcore fan, but it’s not without its charm, and it helps to illustrate Joel’s place in his talented band.