Pino Palladino & Blake Mills : That Wasn’t A Dream
Pino Palladino and Blake Mills’ sophomore release, That Wasn’t a Dream, is an enrapturing musical journey that effortlessly combines the tried-and-true timbres of acoustic instruments with the outermost electronic manipulations of such tools. With the additional incorporation of synthesizers, and the use of wordless vocals as another ensemble texture, the sonic palette of the duo’s follow up to 2021’s Notes With Attachments runs the gamut from the subdued and introspective to grooves that seek to compel us get up and dance.
The album’s greatest achievement is presenting musical complexities in such a relaxed manner as to sound as effortless as a four-on-the-floor rock beat. Album opener “Contour” sets the tone for the proceedings with a 5/8 ostinato played on a nylon string guitar and minimalist drums. Gradually the texture thickens incorporating fretless bass and a more prominent drum set played by the legendary Chris Dave, whose musical relationship with Palladino dates back to their shared tenure in D’Angelo’s band. The second cut, “I Laugh in the Face of the Lion” has a prominent South American tinge to it, with a bossa nova groove and Palladino showing off his chops on the upright bass, a rare treat from the electric bass phenom. This tune also highlights the aforementioned manipulation of acoustic instruments in novel ways, featuring a glitched and distorted flute played by Sam Gendel.
A particular highlight is “Taka,” which turns things up a notch, featuring a Bollywood-inspired groove that employs a minimalist chordal approach and layered percussion to create a hypnotic soundscape that allows the melody to shine. This attention to melodic detail is also apparent in “What’s Wrong with You,” a pensive composition that’s a perfect vehicle for Gendel’s woodwind prowess.
The record’s centerpiece is “Heat Sink,” a nearly 14-minute epic that puts Palladino’s stoic bass line in the middle of a tornado of synthesizer cluster chords and rhythmic punctuations. The party winds down just as calmly as it began with a track curiously titled “That WAS a Dream,” Living up to its name, it’s an ethereal blend of soft scat vocals, fretless bass, and classical guitar parts, wrapping up a solid effort that adds another standout moment to the two artists’ already impressive combined bodies of work.
Label: Impulse!
Year: 2025
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