GoGo Penguin - Necessary Fictions

A Closer Listen

In 2023, GoGo Penguin responded to an onslaught of losses with Everything’s Going to Be Okay, a sentiment extended on their seventh album and the trio’s second with drummer Jon Scott.  Necessary Fictions implies that we tell ourselves stories to get us through, which seems to contradict the previous title; but the upbeat timbres, including an expanded use of modular synth and some high profile guest stars, exude a twin sense of calm and well-being.  The three have grown more comfortable with each other, and it shows; the music unfolds with great fluidity and ease.

Two of the titles deal with the nature of sound itself.  “Background Hiss Reminds Me of Rain” belongs on a list of the year’s best track titles, joining Max Cooper’s “I Am in a Church in Gravesend Listening to Old Vinyl and Drinking Coffee.”  At 1:40, this is the album’s shortest track, but the impression has been made even before a note has been played.  And of course one starts to wonder: is that background hiss, running through the track, or precipitation?  Not even the cassette click can end the discussion.  And “Silence Speaks,” strategically placed at the end of the album (where it can be followed by actual silence) pulses gently like an awakening idea.

These are two of the album’s gentlest pieces.  One of the most active is the first single, “Fallowfield Loops,” whose video caresses Manchester’s Toast Rack building, a model of Brutalist architecture (also seen on the cover), towering over the trio’s home base.  This club-ready track coasts on waves of catchy bass, twinkling keys and jazzy drums.  Due to the repeated motifs, one can almost hear it as a techno track.  The same holds true for opener “UMBRA,” whose steady tempo hides its internal intricacy.

Manchester Collective appears on two tracks, the first alongside Rakhi Singh.  “Luminous Giants” may be an ode to the buildings of Manchester, to the heavenly lights, or to those who guide our way.  The strings add a different hue to the music, nearly but not quite melancholic.  Subtle oohs and aahs lift the back section of the track back up to celebratory heights.  Penultimate piece “State of Flux” seems to comment not only on the band’s trajectory but the state of the world.  The bass gets to strut its stuff, then the piano, then the drums, each then returning to the fray, implying that even a world in flux will eventually reset and that everything’s going to be okay.  In “Forgive the Damages,” the album’s only vocal piece, Daudi Matsiko advises, “Take time to do nothing; try out just sitting; be less distracted; spend more time listening.”  Released just in time for high school commencement speeches, the track serves as a recipe for success, one the band seems to have taken to heart.  After the album ends, the silence speaks.  (Richard Allen)

The Free Jazz Collective 0

By Don Phipps

What is it about GoGo Penguin? While neither art, sound experiment, nor cerebral exercise, the music of Necessary Fictions is enjoyable. Call it a guilty pleasure - like popcorn while watching a movie – a comfort food for the ears – delivering a sense of wellbeing inside grounded reality (structure). The trio of Chris Illingworth (piano, synth), Nick Blacka (double bass, bass guitar, synth), and Jon Scott on drums are backed on some numbers by a small string ensemble and guitar, and guest vocals courtesy of violinist Rakhi Singh and guitarist Daudi Matsiko.

The tunes on Necessary Fictions do not generate heat. Instead, they lollygag along – more akin to giant blossoms in a pond responding to the day’s elements – wind blowing them about, rain pouring down, and on sunny days with slight breezes, floating gently on the water. There’s a subtle head nodding vibe to many of the numbers – propelled by syncopated rhythms, delicate synth patterns, and minimalism.

None of the pieces feature piano virtuosity. Illingworth prefers to dwell on single notes and avoid tonal clusters, notes that present a unassuming lyrical odyssey that rotate around a center. And he’s not afraid of repetition. Listen to his piano on “The Turn Within,” “Naga Ghost,” and “State of Flux” for textbook examples.

Scott’s drums provide a galloping yet grounded push to the effort. And he works in some variation. For example, he uses his hands to tap on the drums on “Luminous Giants” and his use of the tom tom provides a bounce on “Silence Speaks.” There’s also his tap-filled brushwork on “Fallowfield Loops” and the interesting syncopation he employs on “Living Bricks In Dead Mortar” and “Naga Ghost.”

Like his bandmates, Blacka’s bass work lays down straightforward lines. There’s nothing free form –just a solid bottom with enough emotional heft to keep the music flowing. Listen to his counterpoint on “Fallowfield Loops.” Or the select fingerings he chooses for his bass solo on “Naga Ghost.” Or the foundation he provides on “The Turn Within.”

The album might have a miss or two. For example, the poppish “Forgive the Damages” might have been omitted. This same poppish approach is evidenced in “What We Are And What We Are Meant To Be.” But in the latter, the piece is planted more firmly in its ethereal effects -the synths providing a drifting background behind the development while Scott’s scattered drumbeat delivers.

Still, despite the highly structured arrangements, many of the rotating motifs create a dancing, hovering aura – an embrace of the beautiful aspects of our world – wind in hair, warm ocean spray on skin, distant vistas, and circular rainbows. Who can begrudge happiness? And, maybe, these are necessary fictions. Enjoy.