Steve Khan
and
Rob Mounsey
seem interested in putting us in a sort of trance on
You Are Here
, but often that's more the result of our vain search for a clear-cut melody than by perfect design. The guitarist and keyboardist make an intriguing tandem as they play with different world rhythms (the cover art suggests a global unity theme at work) and draw their percussive keyboard meets acoustic string experimentations out to seven, eight, and ten minutes. But only the sharply composed, fiery Latin jam
"Platanos Maduros"
(with synth steel pans and horns) and the Brazilian flavored shuffle
"Viajar y Viajar"
(on which
Mounsey
's synth harmonica approximates
Toots Thielemans
on the legendary Brazilian's projects) offer a memorable melody to go along with the bouncing percussive textures of
Marc Quinones
. Most of the other tunes have swaying beats, occasionally inspired soundscaping fills, and synth riffs, but take a bit too long to develop. Glum pieces like
"Pallbearers"
come across like atmospheric noodling.
is a whiz with electronics, and he seems to have fun finding pockets for
Khan
to toss in a melodic line here and there. But his greatest contribution is his soaring voice, which adds desperately needed focus and humanity to
"Fazendeiro"
and the Latin pieces. ~ Jonathan Widran