Keri Johnsrud - C8h10n4o2 (2024)

Vocalist Keri Johnsrud is a master of subtlety. She delivers intricate songs with elegance and grace, making them sound deceptively effortless. Saxophonist Shawn Maxwell is one of the most innovative members of the Chicago creative music scene. Both are also accomplished composers. All these elements make their collaborative effort C8H10N4O2 (the chemical formula for caffeine) stimulating and delightful.

A concept album, C8H10N4O2 represents a hectic day. Bookending it are two takes of "Peace," one labeled "720 AM" and the other "1154 PM." They feature Johnsrud's evocative wordless chant that rises over the rhythm trio's hypnotic vamps. Maxwell echoes Johnsrud's vocals with his sinewy saxophone. The remaining eleven pieces, mostly short, possess the brevity and poignancy of haiku verse. "Consuming the Bull," for instance, is an unaccompanied fiery saxophone solo, with a touch of whimsy matching the title's double entendre. "Necessary Ink" on the other hand features only drummer Lucas Gillan, who sets an expectant ambiance with his tense polyrhythms.

The slightly longer tunes highlight the band's cohesiveness. Bassist Tim Seisser opens "Doomscrolling" on an ominous note. Johnsrud mirrors with her agile and moving voice Maxwell's resonant flute lines. Keyboardist Tom Vaitsas lays down a riotous groove while Gillan drives the music with his propulsive beats. "Shortcuts and Traffic Jams" has an apt urgency to it as Johnsrud and Maxwell state the main theme with their up-tempo duet. Vaitsas contributes a dark edge with his simmering keys. Maxwell embellishes the melody with sinewy phrases that burn a meandering path through the group's collective refrains.

The melancholic "Heading to Nowhere" is, perhaps, the most captivating highlight of this uniformly superb recording. It showcases Johnsrud doing what she does best. She endows the poetic lyrics with sublime drama and heartwarming emotion. Her colleagues also stretch out with laid-back soliloquies that match the track's mood. Seisser's soulful swagger complements Maxwell's acerbic alto and both perfectly frame Johnsrud's incandescent interpretation.

As expected from Maxwell and Johnsrud.C8H10N4O2 is a brilliant release. This collaboration between two inventive artists has yielded a captivating and thought-provoking work, both rewarding and broadly appealing.~By Hrayr Attarian