Since their debut, Chon has been one of those bands with a sound that we’ve all been waiting for until someone finally came up with it. This really sparked off any listener’s imagination and filled them with tons of fascination. After ‘Grow’ from 2015, the band is back with their newest offering ‘Homey’. I must say, Chon has not only impressed me but has left me spellbound with their sonic magic.
The album opens up with “Sleepy Tea” which is a great track that would satisfy old fans and impress new audiences. This song in some sense as a whole summarizes the music of the band. I’d like to think that this song reintroduced the band on the new album. The sublime work on the guitars and the textures created in the music are very interesting. As the album progresses, the band lets textures build up slowly. You could listen to changing textures and spaces in the music as the album progresses as though the idea of textures and it’s changes aren’t entirely just about being limited to one song. From the bass to a slight amount of dirt on the guitars to ambience, it all adds up. “Waterslide” is a very happy sounding song that showcases the technical prowess of the band. The guitars and the drums create tight tense moment which end with short releases. For the most part, the record is instrumental. The band steps in to experiment further with the enormous potential of sound design coupled with musical technicality.
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Chon makes full use of the mellow, warm and happy sounds that we know them for with “Berry Streets” featuring GoYama. The song features some ambient and electronic elements which add a lot of depth to the music. There’s nothing to miss about the old Chon’s sound on this. Everything is complimentary really speaking. “No Signal” showcases yet another level of intense and intricate guitar playing from the album. It isn’t simply about cramming down a ton of scales but it really put forth the idea of understanding music in ways of expressing complexity without making it feel like a burden.
“Nayhoo” follows up the trend of electro-jazz fusion on the album. Along with the band it features Lophile and Masego who together create some groovy and thoroughly enjoyable moments on the record. “Here and There” is as the title suggests is all over the place. The song is borderline chaotic and it adds a new dimension to being utterly mental and nuts. Imagine taking all your music theory fantasies in jazz and making a utopia with it and with everything to love about it. Chon just makes it look easy. “Feel This Way” featuring Giraffage is quite a break from all the hard-hitting intensity that the album had to offer. This song is pretty easy-going and focuses more on creating deep textures in the music while keeping you away from the complex noodling. “Glitch” with ROM is akin to throwing musical ideas at each other and jamming along with a sense of direction in mind. It’s a pretty darn amazing track which ends only too quickly.
“The Space” is an interesting track in terms of composition and arrangements given the certain oddities it comes with. “Wave Bounce” is another happy song full of all the guitar noodling you could ask for. In essence, it feels like the old Chon we fell in love with only with a lot more maturity this time.
Listening to ‘Homey’ is like having that wonderful feeling of driving down a sunny beach with a cone of ice cream in hand. You’re far away from all the negativity and you’re left with a lot of things that can make you happy. Chon have really pushed themselves to a new level of not only playing music but also understanding it. The evolution in their styles is noticeable but is far from ever being a reason to dislike them. The production on the album has truly done justice to this musical treasure of an album. The album is full of tight and gripping moments with a lot of places where all the tension is eased. The band has exceeded expectations in every aspects and have not been shy to experiment with different sounds on the album. If music is a drug that makes you happy, ‘Homey’ is a pretty strong one!