Morning Recordings: The Welcome Kinetic

For people who consider themselves true appreciators of music, there is an enthralling feeling that is almost impossible to articulate, a joy that can come through a unique or beautiful combination of sounds. The second project from the Chicago collective Morning Recordings — originally designed as a vehicle for vocalist/multi-instrumentalist Pramod Tummala — will blow the minds of listeners with even the most skilled ears. Effortlessly beautiful, delicately graceful, rich and full at one moment, ambient and cinematic at the next, the album is a wonderful exploration of genres, combinations and textures. Tummala and company employ a wealth of instruments in their creation of gorgeous soundscapes and the album, though less than forty minutes in length, comes off as a highly satisfying, spectrum-traveling experience. Opening pair, “The One Hundred Hills” and “Sugar Waltz” are mesmerizing, whirling and hypnotic while the title track uses bass and drums to incorporate the language of jazz into the group’s sound. Other standout tracks include the highly rhythmic “Join the Curtains” and the dulcet closer “I With I Met You Sooner”. Many of the album’s tracks include the presence of soft, percussive instruments like vibes and hammered dulcimer which allow tracks to be both mellow and forward-moving all at once. Morning Recordings have delivered an album that is a feast for the ears but never feels overwhelming, pretentious or weighty.