Rees, Finn: Dawn Is A Melody (indie exclusive-2LP/orange) LP

Mr Bongo proudly presents the debut album from Tasmania-born, Melbourne-based Finn Rees. Gliding across a swirling palette of saturated hues, "Dawn Is A Melody" feels vintage yet vibrant, new but familiar at the same time. A spiritual, deep and textured jazz record, tipping its hat to greats from the past, capturing memories and reformulating them into new ideas with the help of some of Melbourne's finest talent. Expert keys player for the likes of 30/70 and Elle Shimada, alongside one-half of Close Counters, this debut LP was Finn's conscious departure from the realm of groove-based jazz. Instead, "Dawn Is A Melody" places the piano and arrangements centre stage, giving Finn and his crew freedom to explore the spaces in between, new emotions and alternate soundscapes. Plotting a course from Alice Coltrane, through Herbie Hancock, to Arthur Verocai, this is a debut nourished by the past but firmly made in the present. Like a vintage lens capturing a current scene, "Dawn Is A Melody" is warm and familiar, yet focused on the here now.