Kala Kalo

This is ‘shut your eyes and go on a journey’ music. Or possibly ‘dance dreamily around in your living room’ music, depending on your predilection. Almost entirely acoustic and instrumental, Kala Kalo is the work of four fine Canadian performers: Neil Hendry (guitars), Tim Posgate (banjo, bass guitar), Ravi Naimpally (tabla and other Indian percussion) and William Lamoureux (violin, viola, cello and resonator guitar). They are joined by various guest instrumentalists and, on one track, a vocal chorus. Although the tabla has a strong presence throughout, and despite titles such as ‘Krazy Kat Goes to Manitouwadge’ there's no overt sense of ‘X meets Y’ to the influences here; it's just subtle, original music. The strong improvisatory bent is paired with an equally strong sense of compositional form, with some songs having an almost programmatic feel. Kala Kalo has a freshness and clarity likely to hold strong appeal for anyone with an interest in idiosyncratic folk, world, and jazz-based acoustic music.