Recommended: Nolatet – “No Revenge Necessary”

There’s a cheerfulness to these pieces that is positively addictive.  They’re catchy, though they don’t cast out any blatant hooks.  It’s the same magnetism generated by a friendly smile that means it… it just draws the recipient in.  At times, No Revenge Necessary hints at a re-envisioning of classic holiday tunes much in that same way John Zorn’s Dreamers ensemble gave fresh life to music of the holiday seasons.  Or that way some of you incorporate John Coltrane’s “My Favorite Things” into your winter holiday soundtrack; This, too, will a find a place in that playlist.  Heartbreak and hurricanes are some of the inspirations that led to the latest from the quartet Nolatet, but, ultimately, the music shakes out in an atmosphere of optimism and joy.

Sometimes it’s an impression from the very start, as on “Homer and Debbie” with its delightful bounce and a melody as welcoming as Christmas lights beckoning through a frosted window.  Other times, as on “Malabar,” the personality emerges suddenly from a flurry of rhythmic snowfall.  The album has more than a few reminders that the holiday season is perfectly capable of delivering an icy blast, but it’s never long before it’s followed with a comforting warmth.  The electric buzz and sizzle of guitar and bass go hand-in-hand with the sunny tones of vibraphone and piano, a complementary relationship beneficial to the best of each their melodic traits.

You really can’t go wrong scooping this one up.

Your album personnel:  Mike Dillon (vibraphone), Brian Haas (piano), James Singleton (bass) and Johnny Vidacovich (drums).

Released on Royal Potato Family.

Music from New Orleans, LA.

Available at:  Bandcamp | Amazon