Strange Moon Records, October 2024
Winter is here, and with it the cold and wet. Fortunately, Seattle-based accordion and trumpet duo Josh and Ray have a surefire antidote to the gloom with their new album Bloom, a nine-track breath of gentle spring air certain to help lighten the gray.
The pair’s first album (2022’s The Horn Bellows) was a pandemic-era creation, but Joshua Hou and Raymond Larsen have been collaborating for more than a decade, back to their freshman-year ensembles at the University of Washington. Hou and Larsen’s bond goes beyond a mere professional relationship, and their music has a lived-in, conversational quality bolstered by years of genuine friendship.
The duo have built up an extensive shared musical vocabulary throughout their time playing together, including plenty of improvisational experience (including regular appearances at the Racer Sessions) that allows them to take full advantage of the intimacy and inter-musician connectivity afforded by a two-man setup. Bloom feels like sitting in with a couple of pals at the end of the night, listening as they swap stories; the vibe is relaxed and familiar, and the tunes feel comforting and timeless.
While perhaps a less common pairing than some, the combination of trumpet and accordion makes perfect sense: the reedy bellowing of the accordion and the smooth brightness of the trumpet provide exceptional balance for each other, and Hou and Larsen play both lead and accompanist in turn, following each other with an organic ease.
Larsen’s trumpet is sweet and crisp, and his phrasing feels decidedly lyrical. That melodious approach is an ideal match for the warm warbling of Hou’s accordion, which moves with an easy, loping gait. At times evoking Parisian Bal-musette, at others bandoneon, Hou moves fluidly across the landscape, puffing away in the background and swelling up in response to Larsen’s dulcet horn.
Along with the spotlight, the pair also trade writing duties, each with three originals. And, while the subtle differences between their writing styles add a welcome dash of variation to the tracklist, they complement each other remarkably well. Larsen’s gorgeous opener, “Early Days” is a real highlight, lilting and wistful, matched in tenderness by “Rosanna’s Song,” written by Hou for his wife. Bloom also features a trio of covers, including a contemplative, moving arrangement of Satie’s “Gnossienne No. 1”, a lively rendition of Ted Grouya’s classic standard “Flamingo,” and a reimagining of Hong Kong-based pop singer-songwriter Khalil Fong’s “Xiao Xiao Chong” (“Little Bug”). The latter two are jaunty, uptempo numbers, bringing another pop of color to the overall palette, and the album’s closer, the aptly named “No Hurry No Worry,” eases things out with a soothing tranquility.
While it may not technically raise vitamin D levels, Bloom is a real sonic getaway. It’s a 40-minute vacation to somewhere warm and friendly, full of familiar faces, evoking a sense of nostalgia for a place you didn’t know you longed to be.
