Band : Alison Faith Levy & Mushroom

Album Title : Yesterday I Saw You Kissing Tiny Flowers…

Label : 4Zero

Distributor : Clearspot

Release Date : August 2007

Review : CD

Over the past several years, San Francisco singer/songwriter Alison Faith Levy has had her hand in several disparate musical projects. From fronting her own piano-based outfit, to playing in the Loud Family, to film score comissions , and she occasionally is the vocalist for avant-improv group Mushroom too.

“Josh Pollock” is a great choice as an opener. The rhythm is bouncy and the beefy riffs eat their way through the mix, whilst Alison keeps the pace in check with her measured and gripping vocals. “Gas, Grass or Ass – nobody rides for free” . is a wild jazzy ride in psyhedelica complete with trumpet ala Miles Davis' funkier years. Some of the songs have hilarious songtitles : “You laugh at me because i'm different, I laugh at you because you're all the time the same”, “The sun machine is coming down and we're having a party” and “Gas, Grass or Ass – nobody rides for free” . “Clay Alison” is a   schizophrenic piece that hovers between bleepy flutes, crying celeste , bongos/maracas-like jamming and minimal indie rock. The very long “Kraut mask replica” switches from a more experiment sun ra sound on to a more rollicking bluesy tune. The sensitive “Ocean beach” is very creative with quite a wide range of the funk and jazzy periods.

Yesterday I Saw You Kissing Tiny Flowers… is an acquired taste, but one that is far extremely rewarding.

Cosmicmasseur.