Jack Cooper first came to my attention when Ultimate Painting played my local record shop South back in 2015. I traced back from that bands beautiful post-VU indie to his earlier work with Mazes, and then let him guide me into whole new worlds of sound with the fluid line-ups and sonic shifts of his current project Modern Nature.
Following an ever more expansive route that began with the motorik-folk of 2019’s How To Live and evolved into the improvised jazz leanings of last years Island Of Noise, Modern Nature’s latest album No Fixed Point In Space stretches further still into previously uncharted levels of experimentation. Cooper has surrounded himself with a dedicated, exemplary cast of musicians to present his most complete musical statement to date.
Rooted in the mysteries and marvels of the natural world, pinning down No Fixed Point In Space is like trying to make sense of a dream. Its lack of conventional rhythmic pulse can at first appear unsettling, but soon becomes comforting, exhilarating even. The shock of the new gives way to a fresh means of experiencing sound and melody, unhurried, not bound by time or preconceived structure, free to unravel from its purest point of creation.
Using the albums title as its guide, the gentle power of the seven arrangements place no emphasis on any particular element, making for a deeply captivating listening experience. Best experienced as a whole, the soundscapes ebb and flow, with the intricate bass patterns of Tapestry or Cascade’s vibrant orchestration given just as much room to shine as the beautiful vocal interplay of the likes of Orange and the Julie Tippetts fronted closer Ensô.
Jack Cooper is one of those artists you just have to trust. He follows his heart and his art wherever it leads him, and commits fully to his vision, never standing still in the process. My musical pallet has grown massively these last few years and a big part of that has come from exploring his influences. His music, in all of its forms, continues to ask questions of me, comfort me, and keep me moving forward. What more could I ask.
Out now via Bella Union, buy here.
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