CD of The Week

Cadence
Twenty for One


As Reviewed by Erica Gayler

"All sounds produced by the voice, mouth, and body. No other instruments used." –printed on the liner notes of "Twenty for One"

Toronto a cappella group Cadence have a saying that they like to use, which can be found displayed across their website at www.cadence-unplugged.com: "instruments are for surgeons." But with the talent of master surgeons, Cadence carefully crafts their music, all their own arrangements, to fully use the vocal talents of each member. You’ll never miss the instruments! In fact, there are moments where you’ll be absolutely sure that "that was a trumpet", or "that was a drum kit"… but no, that’s just the voices of Cadence.

Cadence’s first release, Frost-Free, was a critical and popular success, winning two Contemporary A Cappella Recording Awards, picking up a Juno nod in 2001, and creating a stir on the a cappella scene. With the release of their second album, Twenty for One, Cadence is obviously destined for more awards, more recognition, and hopefully a Canadian realization that we hold one of the world’s a cappella treasures.

Opening with a cover of Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps, that’s more reminiscent of Cake’s quirky take on the song than of any jazz rendition, Cadence will capture your attention right from the start and lead you through an eclectic mix of songs that include pop classics, jazzy toe-tappers, and original compositions that can stand confidently side-by-side with any of the more familiar tunes on Twenty for One. Some less-than-expected covers turn up as well, including "Game," originally by CKUA favourite Beady Belle.

One of the standout tracks on the album is tenor Dylan Bell’s arrangement of Joni Mitchell’s "The Dry Cleaner from Des Moines", which pops immediately to attention and almost demands repeated listenings to catch all of its many facets. It features a drum groove that transforms from crisp and laid back into the kind of beat that wouldn’t be out of place in a trance club, and a bass line that captures Jaco Pastorius’s effortlessly funky original, while still being unmistakably Cadence - all underneath the jazziest lead vocals on the album.

For those who can’t wait any longer to hear some Cadence for themselves, "The Dry Cleaner from Des Moines" is available for download at www.cadence-unplugged.com. While at the site, you can also read more about both albums and the band itself. "Four men, four microphones, no instruments," as advertised by the website, is obviously a formula that adds up to success – and to one of the best CDs that’s landed in the CKUA library so far this year.

For more information check out
www.cadence-unplugged.com
www.a-cappella.com