Jake Allen and Jennifer Mann’s collaboration on the Refractions, Vol. 1 release stretches the boundaries of the possible. Rather than relying on the tried and true method of music releases, this pairing marries the visual and musical in a way there are few antecedents for. Some of the album’s ten tracks began life as a musical piece from Allen which Mann would adapt into a painting while others started as a painting that Allen would translate into a musical composition. This method of working encourages a level of spontaneity that we don’t often encounter in recorded performances and Refractions, Vol. 1 is aglow with an inspired diversity of sound and color.
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“Diamond” opens the release with a dramatic synthesizer swell. It soon transforms into an elastic, hard-hitting progressive rock instrumental driven by an intense rhythm section attack. The bass and drums are highlights, without question, but there’s ample ingenuity heard from the guitar contributions as well. Contrasting often scintillating electric guitar with eloquent acoustic passages is a potent move. Mann’s painting makes outstanding use of blended colors, and her instincts for compelling geometric patterns enhance her work’s eye-catching properties.
The ferocious musical attack of “Diamond” gives way to the comparatively pensive qualities of “Aquamarine”. Intriguing melodies are part and parcel of Allen’s approach in the opener and continue with this arrangement. He negotiates the transitions from one section to the next with immense skill and the dynamism of the piece; listen to him move from relatively unadorned passages into electric guitar in full flight. It helps “Aquamarine” pack enormously diverse power. It’s likewise brilliantly reflective of Mann’s painting. The lush use of blue and green throughout her piece gives the canvas a heated quality missing from its predecessor.
“Fluorite” embraces the same visual themes. There’s more uniformity in Mann’s painting for this song than seen with the earlier “Aquamarine”. However, her use of shape and texture strikes a decidedly different note. There’s an amoeba-like quality to significant portions of the painting that suggests living creatures moving through the water yet seamlessly indistinguishable from their aquatic surroundings. Allen returns to the brisk pace that propelled “Diamond” and employs electric guitar to once again give the instrumental added firepower.
“Tiger’s Eye” pulls back on the musical reins for much of the recording. The early portions of this performance are muted compared to what’s come before, and the focus on percussion that fuels the first half of the track accentuates the painting’s watching, baleful glare. However, Allen’s music builds it to an intense payoff highlighted by the release’s rare use of vocals. “Amethyst” has an elegant acoustic guitar running throughout the performance. Allen plays incredibly stylish and melodically meaningful lead guitar over the top of the acoustic guitar. He blends scattershot percussion to help give the instrumental extra ballast. Mann continues to illustrate her extended mastery of technique with a more clearly defined painting than some earlier works. It’s one of the collaboration’s finest moments.
Refractions, Vol. 1 goes places the average music release doesn’t dare to travel. Allen’s exemplary musicianship and Mann’s visual mastery mix to powerful effect, and there isn’t a single track and accompanying visual work that will leave the listener/viewer wanting.
Garth Thomas