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The Goldwyn Experiment is a project by Canadian musician Goldwyn Thandrayen that follows the path first carved by genre-bending pioneers like Frank Zappa and Danny Elfman. Inspired by his life traveling as a busker from Mauritius to Montreal, Avenue B is a follow up to last year’s release which was titled, you guessed it, Avenue A, and its songs echo the feelings and nostalgia which remained inside the artist after his journeys. It’s an album that easily gets bored with itself as it flits about from prog to jazz to rap, and it ultimately creates an unpredictable and dynamic listen full of sonically daring surprises.
Rarely has a schizophrenic tracklisting been pulled off so successfully, and it’s a testament to Thandrayen’s ability as a songwriter. The album begins with a fusion of jazz and classical piano on “Prologue” but quickly segues into a theatrical, cabaret vision of hard rock with “Vodka Tea.” Also explored, with equal levels of prowess, are the demented garage surf of “Whale Jail” and soulful psychedelica on “Bag of Nails.” Overall, it’s the artist’s personality—a confident expression of both good humor and serious artistic intent—which makes Avenue B such an enjoyable, wild ride that never stops to rest for long.
