Led by the acclaimed keys of Nitai Hershkovits and Stones Throw artist Rejoicer, the (huge) ensemble behind Time Grove have produced what feels like a sonic portrait of their hometown, Tel Aviv. The woozy synth of ‘Second Attention’ waltzes with pirouetting keys, conjuring memories of days spent on golden sands. ‘Jungle Bourjois’ heads inland, where soaring horns, racing rides and running keys mimic the bustle of city streets, and major chords glaze over like a heavy sun. Later, ‘Nezah’ summons up the city’s late-night rapidity.
On ‘Talek’ there’s a rare moment of noisy jazz-jam, but Time Grove devote most of their time to a more delicate sound – such as on twisted lullaby ‘Indopia’, where Egyptian flute and traditional tabla are pulled into a lurching, hip-hop beat and menacing melodic minor; then ‘Piano Bubbles’ allow the dreamy romanticism of flute and keys to triumph again. The album is full of melodic subtlety, and full of love, as it dallies between the old and the new.
