Klein & Jamison - Clarinet Sonata "Whiteout"
Clarinet Sonata "Whiteout" by Klein & Jamison is a carefully crafted story. The narrative arc was startlingly clear to me as I was listening. It was a modern fairytale coming to life. A vivid and dramatic story of adventure set in a magical, enchanting world that's just a little different from ours. Or maybe it is our world, and we're just too cynical to realise it. I. Chasm Lake is a whimsical beginning to the EP. The instrumental immediately captivated me with it's interesting and intricate melodic motions, keeping me engaged throughout. It feels like the excitement of discovery, of finding something new every moment. The ascending melodic sequence in the latter half of the song is so playful. It felt like the childlike wonder that everyone tells you to grow out of is coming to life again. Like a ride on a merry-go-round that satisfies your inner child. This track is an introduction to this world—the scene is now set, and the next track introduces us to the plot. The adventure begins with II. Above the Clouds. The rhythmic melodies of the previous track continues and helps maintain the excitement. But this time it is of a different kind. A feeling of uncertainty as it begins, slower melodies building up into a rhythm and slowing down again multiple times. This exactly mirrors the ups and downs of uncertainty and excitement warring as you begin on a new journey. The call-and-response moments that the piano and the clarinet create, add so much texture to the soundscape even though those are the only two instruments used in the track. The two sounds, so light and diaphanous, definitely help create the image of an adventure above the clouds. Following the narrative arc, III. Whiteout brings in the conflict of the story. Unsettling and then so melancholic, the melodic progressions turn slow and heart-wrenching. Then it gets faster with staccato rhythms, bringing back the unsettling feeling from the start. But now there is a depth to the sound, adding an alluring darkness. IV. the Parking Lot concludes this journey with an uplifting, anthemic sound. It is a combination of nostalgia and drama, the latter manifesting in the slower moments. And the abrupt, almost cartoonish, ending adds a touch of playfulness again to end this peculiar and exciting tale. I have always loved songs and albums that tell a continuous story. Klein & Jamison has created a compelling narrative, the clarinet adding an eccentricity to it that I did not expect. They transported me to a world that I wish I could always exist in. A world that I did not want to leave. I guess I will just have to escape to it every chance I get.