It’s a bracing sign of confidence that musician/composer Jake Allen and painter Jennifer Mann named their first collaboration Refractions, Vol. 1. They are already looking to the future. I believe a single listen to this 10-song outing underscores why.
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Each piece and the work as a whole bear witness to the unorthodox nature of their composition. The ten compositions spawn from Mann responding in paint to Allen’s songwriting, or else Allen composes pieces inspired by Mann’s work. It infuses each of the release’s songs with a spontaneity that’s different from what hardened music aficionados are accustomed to hearing.
Interpreting the merits of this collection isn’t a cut-and-dry one-way street. You can judge the value of each individual piece. There’s validity there. However, I believe it is ultimately meant to be experienced as an overarching work, each track an integral part of a larger whole, and demands consideration on those merits.
It has clear symphonic aspirations taken in such a way. You cannot ignore Refractions’ esoteric trappings even though I hear a clear progression and an ebb and flow to the song cycle’s structure. The bold pomp and fanfares of “Diamond” transitions into the cooler and more reflective world of “Aquamarine” while retaining the same sonic signature. Allen’s music possesses stylistic unity that spans the entirety of this collection.
The same unity defines Mann’s paintings. They balance an apparent design and freeform explosions of color without ever favoring one approach over the other. She does possess renegade inclination exhibited in two of the collection’s most compelling works. “Tiger’s Eye” eschews the pastoral colors of “Aquamarine” and “Fluorite” in favor of viewing color through a more foreboding lens. Allen’s accompaniment for “Tiger’s Eye” invokes initial low-key menace before once again soaring on the back of inspired electric guitar playing.
“Obsidian”, “Topaz”, and “Carnelian” share a similar scope both musically and visually. “Obsidian” has stronger musical atmospherics than any arrangement thus far and shares an obvious visual kinship with “Tiger’s Eye”, though it’s naturally darker. “Topaz” recalls the collection’s opener, but it’s much briefer and isn’t as all-out in its musical attack. The finale “Carnelian” thrives on contrast. There is an almost apocalyptic flair surrounding Mann’s painting, and the arrangement ranks as one of the most widely dynamic musical pieces on the release.
Refractions, Vol. 1, for me, mimics the movements of an extended musical work. The individual pieces are excellent standalone compositions, even outstanding, but appraising the work in its totality reveals deep riches. Jake Allen and Jennifer Mann engage in a nearly hour-long dialogue using few words yet manage to communicate a swirl of human emotion that knows few equals.
You cannot digest it in a single sitting. Refractions, Vol. 1 is a collection that demands you live with its riches for days before arriving at a final judgment. A single listen revealed a lot to me, but later pass-throughs uncovered a bevy of nuance in both the musical pieces and Mann’s painting. I believe your experience will be the same.
Claire Uebelacker