Nir Felder
Golden Age
Reviewed by: Elizabeth Wagner
If you’re looking for a new album that not only showcases impressive jazz guitar instrumentation, but also shows composition skills which show what an art music can be, then Nir Felder’s Golden Age is for you.
One part that is really successful about this album is the differentiation Felder shows in his songs. All of them are very distinct in their sound, which is even more spectacular because there is no singing on the tracks. This is not an album where someone would say that they were bored because all the songs sound the same.
The first track “Lights” struck my interest right away, which makes sense to why it would be chosen to be the first single off the album. It’s very upbeat and incorporates spoken word. The track embodies what I think a successful opening track of an album should sound like.
Though lacking any “lyrics” per se, this album gives life to one of Felder’s hobbies. He incorporates spoken-word from different famous speeches from politicians and cultural figures that have inspired him over the years. These words placed throughout Golden Age really pull together to create a theme and purpose for the album.
“Sketch 2” features historic speeches given by former New York Governor Mario Cuomo, and Nobel Peace Prize winner & political activist Elie Wiesel. Throughout other tracks on the album, spoken words from Barbara Jordan, Jesse Jackson, Hilary Clinton, Malcolm X, and Richard Nixon have been embedded.
“Ernest/Protector” shows off Felder’s guitar skills and is just one example of how beautifully all the instruments came together to create a successful album.
Though I would say this style of music is not something that everyone would want to listen to, I would say that everyone can appreciate it. Felder truly as a talent that many would kill for.
Rating: Listenable
