Renewal is what is promised by Ezra Collective in the opening moments of Here Because of Hope. Their latest album relies on everyone from Letita Wright to Leona Lewis to give listeners the strength and power to continue despite the array of hardships laid at their feet. Who knows whether it’ll work. Times are tough, individually and collectively. But Ezra Collective has a rhythm and ear for the unusual. Their joyous sound spreads across Here Because of Hope, ignites that optimistic state of mind and does enough to maintain it. Hard-pressed to do so in modern times, but here we are, a band who are hell-bent on convincing us to relax, to drop the tension resting on our shoulders, and to enjoy the charms of their jazz style. They have a knack for it, and the swaying, intimate experience found across Here Because of Hope is an antidote to the horrors of the year so far. It’ll heal in ways never quite expected.
Blow Your Trumpet is as much a breezy start as it is a call to arms. Ezra Collective peddles a message of believing in your voice and speaking up, but they back it with delicate and definite instrumentals. Sweet Echo is some exceptional instrumental work the whole way through. Joe Armon-Jones’ keyboard work is given a spot to shine here but as is the case for the very best of Ezra Collective, the song feels like a celebration of collective group ability. Only Love makes the most of a Pa Salieu collaboration. One way or another, Ezra Collective will extract the love left in your system, even if the source of that expression has taken a beating. Many will throw around the message that music is healing if it captures the mood and tone just right for the time you listen to it. Ezra Collective doesn’t do that with Here Because of Hope. They create a mood themselves and it’s so infectious, so incredibly exciting to hear, that it’s hard not to lap it up.
By the time Someday comes around, the grooves of Here Because of Hope are presented as ever-changing but still hopeful, still rallying for that moment of peace. That freedom is what you make of it and sometimes you need prompting with a musical accompaniment that’ll get you there. Birdie Sings has a tremendous rhythm going, and it gets Ezra Collective close to a spot where comfortable, easy-listening would take hold. But they do right by themselves and their listeners, cutting it short for a boisterous The Last Stand. You can escape your surroundings, your consequences, and your inabilities with a good album. A great album will keep you out of that for a little time after. Here Because of Hope manages that, and the collaboration with Lila Iké on Well Organised is the twist of the knife for that feeling. Pain carried for some time is exorcised by a song that uses that tender, light instrumental flourish to speak to a listener with welcome clarity.
From there, Ezra Collective rips open Here Because of Hope and toys with some incredible, effective instrumentals. Their percussion has never sounded better. An album of healing is what Here Because of Hope offers. A chance to reflect and empower yourself through the music of others. Only the best can do that. But only the greatest can do it so consistently across a whole album. A truly special experience and well worth having, time and time again. You’d be hard-pressed to find a better instrumental experience this year. Jubilee Feeling and Black Flag are late-stage reminders of just how talented Ezra Collective is as a unit, and just how moving their work can be. A constant, positive force is what Here Because of Hope offers. The band truly leans into the hope they have at hand.
Discover more from Cult Following
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
