For everyone, the pandemic put a pause button on life. But for a band that had spent more than a half-a-decade on the road, it was a chance to reset. And that’s led to Ezra Collective’s sophomore album Where I’m Meant To Be. Trailblazers in the burgeoning UK jazz scene, the band entered, as drummer and band-leader Femi Koleoso puts it, “a transition phase” over the break from touring.
But if this is a “transition phase”, you would never know; the band hasn’t missed a beat. The rhythms and grooves for the album are, as ever, held down by Femi and his younger brother, bass player TJ. Their talent for laying the foundations for each track down for the rest of the band is so natural it has me questioning whether musical timing and groove can be genetic. The melodies and harmonies are therefore given such a good base that it allows trumpeter Ife Ogunjobi, saxophonist James Mollison, and pianist Joe Armon-Jones free reign to create beautifully immersive soundscapes, with all members given licence throughout the album to take the spotlight and go a bit crazy with it.
It also wouldn’t be an Ezra album without a few collaborations and after working with names like Loyle Carner and Jorja Smith in the past, this album starts with an explosively joyful feature from Zambian artist Sampa The Great on ‘Life Goes On’. The energy that the band conveys and Sampa channels through her lyrics are the kind that make you want to get up and dance, and this infectious energy continues through the opening tracks of the album.
Following in quick succession is ‘Victory Dance’, the most frantic and exciting song on the entire album. A brief foray into samba and Latin America stylings, it is a joy to listen to. Solos from members across the band make appearances on this track, but all play second fiddle to Joe Armon-Jones. The piano in ‘Victory Dance’ is exquisite. It features multiple glissandos (where you run your fingers across the piano keys) that fit seamlessly, more contrasting notes and beautiful resolutions than I don’t even know what, and displays his wonderfully creative approach to jazz piano. It’s a highlight within 10 minutes. Strong stuff straight out of the traps.
Kojey Radical makes the album’s best feature on ‘No Confusion’ with a characteristically bold and boisterous verse before the vibe of the album shifts and takes a bit of a darker, relaxed and bass-heavy approach. The dance-hall influences are unmistakable over the next few tracks, even before ‘Togetherness’ opens with a heavily tuned call of “up in the street they call it Ezra”, directly referencing Damian Marley’s seminal Welcome to Jamrock. These styles run through the body of the album and make for a great change of pace; each song giving a different musical refrain and moving with its own energy. It shows the growth and maturity of the band to recognise that not everything needs to be 100% all the time and the album’s pacing benefits from these changes in pace massively.
‘Where I’m Meant To Be’ does lose some momentum about two thirds through, however. Emeli Sande’s feature feels like a stretch too far and a style too many for Ezra Collective to seamlessly work into this album. It opens slowly and takes almost four minutes for the band’s sound to meld well with Sande’s voice. It’s one of the weaker tracks on the album and unfortunately stalls the band’s momentum. Compounded with the following interlude ‘Words by Steve’, it unintentionally creates a divide between the explosive and stylish start of the album and the slower last third.
‘Belonging’ and ‘Never The Same Again’ do their best to try to regain some of the album’s former strength, with ‘Never The Same Again’’s breakdown halfway bringing some extra energy back into Ezra’s sound. Again, it’s Armon-Jones who steals centre-stage with a stunning piano solo that carries everyone along with him to inject some zip into the album. Ife Ogunjobi gets some screaming notes in too before we’re slowed back down for the admittedly very touching interlude ‘Words by TJ’.
It retells a short story about TJ meeting a fan post-gig, but read between the lines and it shows how Ezra Collective have found deeper meaning in their music, further purpose for why they play, and now know where they’re meant to be.
The album could end right there, but ‘Love in Outer Space’ is a classically jazzy end piece with Nao providing some nasal-y ethereal lyrics that bring the project to a neat ending. It’s not a stunning finale, but it helps the album to come full circle on its sonic journey and finish in a very satisfying place.
Where I’m Meant To Be shows Ezra Collective’s growing desire to push the boundaries on the music they make, blurring all lines imaginable, and creating their own unique sound. Although never a traditional jazz quintet, they have most definitely shed any remnant of that title with this album. It peaks at some of the strongest work that the quintet has put together, with a remarkable consistency for an album so diverse in its sound and over an hour long. It’s a testament to their creative process, the extraordinary talents of each individual member, and their unity to make something that sounds amazing. It’s music that would be incredible to see live and if you can see them, do!
Album Rating: 8/10