Pablo Embon – Where We Came From
Pablo Embon – Where We Came From – Album Review
Fun fact – I actually like Jazz a lot more than I’d assume many of you think. The reality is, there’s less of it out there in comparison to most genres that tend to come through these pages of ours, but it’s always been a welcome sound here in these speakers of mine. In general, I’m continuously surprised that more people don’t get into it I suppose…it’s such an endlessly adventurous style of music and you’ll usually find more uniqueness inside this one particular genre than you will in just about any other you can think of. So heck yeah Pablo Embon – welcome to sleepingbagstudios; I’m happy to have your music on here.
I mean, you can’t help but to be enamored by the skill and innovative collage of melody you’ll find swirling throughout the opening track “Here, There And Everywhere.” Not only does it possess a stellar design in terms of how it swells to the magnitude it reaches on its journey from start to finish, but it’s genuinely a fantastic & fascinating choice as an opening tune. It’s almost as if Pablo decided he was going to give the world a small sample of each of the instruments he planned on playing throughout the course of the record, and you get this kaleidoscopic snapshot of so much of what you’ll find in the songs from the lineup on Where We Came From scattered in the mix throughout “Here, There And Everywhere.” It’s an ambitious and adventurous beginning to an album, played with remarkable precision and stunning clarity in the production. I keep marveling at the spot around the 2:30-3:30 mark – that’s gotta be some of the most beautiful sounds and brilliantly conceived ideas I’ve heard this year.
As the waves crash onto the shore and the album’s title-track comes into focus, I feel like there is going to be a lot of folks out there listening that’ll quickly fall in love with Pablo’s guitar work. Whether you feel like Jazz is your thing or not aside, tracks like “Where We Came From” and its vividly cinematic textures and tones will likely grab most people’s attention, no matter what they normally listen to. It’s not that it doesn’t still qualify as Jazz – you’ll hear this song and bend itself into a more bizarre shape as it carries on, of course – but it does also retain a more accessible vibe to it that should be able to catch the people on the fringe that are never sure whether they truly like Jazz or not, you know what I mean? “Where We Came From” settles into this really blissful and arty sway that’s impressively addictive – it’s the kind of song that’ll earn your full attention by simply being relentlessly interesting. The professional execution of Pablo Embon greatly enhances this tune as well, naturally – but I think there’s also a real lesson to be learned in “Where We Came From” that highlights the essence of keeping things grounded. Jazz tends to turn a whole lot of folks off by going too far overboard or being too flashy with the chops – too excessive, yadda yadda – I’m not saying I agree with that, but this song shows that taking a more patient approach and using quality ingredients yields maximum results. This is fairly universal Jazz y’all!
“Sunny Side Up” is another great example of Pablo’s accessibility – this is just straight-up pleasant to listen to, ain’t it? Again, largely due to the way this man plays his guitar, “Sunny Side Up” is endlessly captivating for all the right reasons…I truly couldn’t take my ears off this track, nor was I inclined to try. There are other elements that play a role along the way like the horns, keys, and percussion & whatnot, but I’m tellin’ ya, Embon steals the show with another exceptional performance on his axe. Dude just knows how to work the frets of his guitar – he plays with a combination of passion and personality that I genuinely believe listeners are going to love. Such a talented musician and a true artist when it comes right down to it…”Sunny Side Up” speaks volumes on its own behalf – I’m tellin’ ya, you’re gonna love it.
Honestly, I think one of the greatest things about having a song that’s so easy to love like “Sunny Side Up” in this lineup, is that it leads directly into a track like “Take Me To The Top,” which is quite likely going to be more challenging for the majority of listeners by comparison. That being said, this is how evolution works y’all…this is how you help people develop a sonic palette that’s broader than when someone first started to listen. It’s not a matter of bait-and-switch tactics, it’s simply shifting gears in an artistic way that introduces new sounds and ideas to people’s ears, right after they were probably sure they were in for an easier ride into Jazz based on what they’d heard prior to “Take Me To The Top.” And I’m all for it! Look, don’t get me wrong – even I’d tell you that “Here, There And Everywhere,” “Where We Came From,” and “Sunny Side Up” are tunes I’d probably play more often on a personal level as well – BUT…that doesn’t make “Take Me To The Top” a bad song by any measure. It just hits differently, that’s all – and that’s okay! I appreciate that Pablo’s flexing a bit more creatively on this track, and really tapping into the ‘fusion’ and ‘symphonic’ aspects of the genre he chooses to ascribe to. I still enjoy this song, but I also recognize that we often trade a bit of accessibility in the pursuit of new artistic breakthroughs as well. To me, regardless of how anyone might perceive the results, it’s always a trade worth making, because that’s where the real rewards of creation tend to be found, and the joy as well. I really dig the mythical & misty vibe this song has…it sounds like the real audible equivalent of discovery.
If you’re paying close enough attention in my line of work, you notice the little things. “The Space Between Us (2024)” for example – it’s no accident that you get the brackets denoting the year on this tune. Originally recorded for his 2021 album called In Your Skin, “The Space Between Us” gets a shiny new update that seems to suit the song well. It’s a bit more…hmm…let’s say cohesive…tighter in the way that it’s mixed…that kind of thing. I personally think it was a good song before, and I still think it’s a good song now – but it’s quite interesting to hear a second take on what we can assume Pablo had envisioned this track to sound like all along. Take a page out of his playbook y’all…as they say, a good song is never finished, only abandoned – right? If you feel like there’s something more you can bring to something you’ve done in the past, then do it! There are no rules, and no one out there is saying you can’t record a song you love over and over until you feel like you get everything you wanted out of it. Especially in the case where you feel like the ideas are worth revisiting! If the whole world hasn’t heard your song yet, then it’s still going to be new to a million people anyhow – so get back in the lab and tinker with your music until you’ve got that sound you were hearing in your head on the recording, like Pablo has here in this updated version of “The Space Between Us.” I like that it’s got a stoic base that consists of truly beautiful and dreamy sounds, with all kinds of innovative musicianship flowing on top.
“Scattered Screams” continues to provide a more challenging tapestry of sound for the masses out there, but a compelling one for those that appreciate something more artistic and proudly different. On this song, you’ll find Pablo incorporating vocal samples into the mix, which gives “Scattered Screams” a more mythical, mystical, and somewhat tribal vibe to it. It sounds adventurous, it’s clearly among the more ambitious tunes on the record, and I love that it’s got the kind of textural uniqueness that stands out amongst the rest of the set. I also love it when vocals tend to get used as another instrument, rather than simply relying on them to do the whole verse/chorus thing and lead us into sing-alongs. Obviously that’s how the majority of music with vocals tends to work, I get it…but at the same time, there’s no argument to be made against the fact that this has been the method that has been explored a million times over, and that there are so many more groundbreaking ways that vocals can be used that we have yet to hear when they’re being utilized like another instrument. So heck yeah, I’m all for tracks like “Scattered Screams” – I’m not gonna be the guy to tell you it’s the most universally appealing, or the most accessible song on the album…but I will advocate on behalf of it being one of the most fascinating.
“Candies For The Soul” is exactly that! Good lord…the musicianship on this song is straight-up amazing y’all. From start to finish, this track is a real stunner. The low-key melody of its beginning, to the energy it builds, right through to the fireworks of its finale – “Candies For The Soul” is a genuine treat to listen to. What I really dig about this song is the structure overall…it’s really clever stuff. It’s the kind of song that starts in such an unassuming, fairly straightforward type of way, and before you even realize it, you’re enveloped by a fantastic array of incredible musicianship and colorful sound beaming from the lefts to the rights. The percussion and drums added into the mix are brilliantly rambunctious, and they provide an exceptional level of contrast against the calmer melody that surrounds them through the guitar, piano & synths – the whole song is remarkably well-thought out, and remarkably well played. Even with Pablo having already established himself as a noteworthy musician so far to this point on the album, I think listeners will still stop and marvel at just how skillful his execution is on “Candies For The Soul” when it comes around in this set-list. It’s also another wonderful highlight for his ability to combine accessible melody with impressive instrumentation…that’s what leads tracks like “Candies For The Soul” that have the potential not to just reach fans of Jazz…songs like this find the ears of everyone.
Where I personally felt a bit more challenged in the course of listening to Where We Came From, was actually in “The Next Time You Look.” On the surface, I don’t think any of us could really argue against this song…it’s objectively beautiful by just about any measure, and it’s as well-played as any of the tracks on this album are too. Those are the main positives, along with it carrying a more distinctly cinematic, built for theatre or soundtrack type of sound to it. Having said that, I found that what had me struggling to appreciate “The Next Time You Look” as much as I probably should have, was that it seemed a little light on the details. Where you’ve got tracks like “Candies For The Soul” that demonstrate such a vibrant level of personality and charm right beforehand, it ends up making “The Next Time You Look” feel a bit out of place afterwards. I’d say it’s one of the toughest spots on the record to fill – “Candies For The Soul” is that charming and that appealing…to the point where anything coming after it would sound like it’s impossible to carry the momentum it generated. “The Next Time You Look” is a quality track without question, but it’s undoubtedly going to have a tougher time making the impact that I’m sure Pablo would have loved it to based on where it’s placed in this particular lineup…at least at first. With repeat spins through the album, it’s my hope that people will appreciate this song more & more.
The reality is, there’s an ebb & flow to every single album that has ever been made. We all respond to different things we hear in our own different ways…we all have our favorites, and more often than not, they’re different from what others think for our own personal reasons. Even in the rare instances where we all agree on what an album’s best song is or isn’t, we still reach those conclusions through different means and criteria. So for myself, when I was listening to Where We Came From and ended up feeling like “The Next Time You Look” was the track that seemed to struggle the most in terms of making an impact on me, I also recognized that it had a tough spot to fill coming after “Candies For The Soul,” but also that it could potentially have the opposite effect on setting up the other track surrounding it for success, which is exactly what occurred. I’m pretty damn sure that “Knock On Door” is my favorite song on this album, and it is an AMAZINGLY lively rebound from the subtle energy of “The Next Time You Look” right before it. Truly, I could go on and on and on about the innovative creativity, the artistic fearlessness, and the brilliant uniqueness of a song like “Knock On Door” – and ultimately, this is the kind of direction I’d steer someone of Pablo’s immense talents to continually dive further into. This is what I was talking about earlier on in saying how some of the greatest risks come with the most satisfying rewards – “Knock On Door” exemplifies what I meant by that. You need artistic courage and creative integrity to even attempt a song like this, let alone the skills and insight it would require – but LISTEN to these spellbinding results, will ya? This is the kind of noteworthy breakthrough we’re all craving in the music we listen to, on both sides of the speakers. Pablo should be seriously proud of what he’s accomplished with this track – for a five minute-long song, there’s not a single second of wasted space, there’s not a thing anyone could possibly want to be done differently – it’s freakishly perfect y’all! There’s drama, there’s mystery, incredible skills on display, and awesomeness in abundance – I love it.
I suppose that’s the difference for me. I like newness, and I like ideas that feel completely fresh – and “Knock On Door” ticks all those boxes for a HUGE WIN. I’m never going to make substantial complaints against beautifully played songs like “Mountains I’ve Crossed,” especially when the piano is directly in the spotlight – BUT…sure, to a degree, I’ve heard plenty of songs like this, whereas there’s like, only one of “Knock On Door” – know what I mean? I’m always going to appreciate the cascading splendor of the sound in something like “Mountains I’ve Crossed,” because heck, who wouldn’t? We all love dreamy vibes like this, and it still possesses a solid amount of creativity in the structure it’s designed with, and stunning technique in the way that it’s played. All I’m saying is that a track like “Mountains I’ve Crossed” still has the potential to be relegated to becoming background music based on it being more familiar by comparison, whereas something like “Knock On Door” has me wanting to stand up and cheer for its level of uniqueness and relentlessly captivating ideas on display. So two things can certainly be true – I can love a track like “Mountains I’ve Crossed” & admire its beauty, but I can still want MORE of what I just experienced in the profound, exploratory, and expressive style that a track like “Knock On Door” has.
“…The More We Want” is probably a great example of what folks would typically expect to find on a Jazz record, and it’s a highlight for the skill, technique, precision, and creativity that Embon brings to his music. I’ve got no beef with a song like this one…it’s essentially all piano, and it should have no problem at all grabbing the attention of listening ears through its captivating combination of charm & personality. “…The More We Want” is kind of like, the definitive proof that Pablo’s got a universal set of skills that he can apply to any instrument he chooses to, and an understanding of how to make music in a unique way that’ll perk up any set of ears with genuine interest. You can hear him playing “…The More We Want” with real passion and purpose, and I feel like that’s truly all we can ever ask for on our side of the speakers…you can tell from listening to a song like this that Pablo is seriously invested in providing the best performances he can for your entertainment. The production on this song, and the album overall, has been crystal clear…it’s been tremendous to listen to and the sparkling clarity makes it even easier for us to appreciate the impressive musicianship that Embon applies to every note he plays.
The finale of “As We Dare To Dream” is spot on in my opinion. For a track that’s less than two minutes in length, I felt like this was also one of Pablo’s more daring and innovative ideas – I loved it! It also supplies that real feeling of being a conclusion to a lineup of songs…like, you know when this album is officially finished, and I appreciate that. The authenticity in this particular track is another major highlight as well in my opinion…this is audibly unique once again, and a genuine asset to this set-list. “As We Dare To Dream” is like a bizarre take on something like “Somewhere Over The Rainbow” in a twisted kind of way…and I’m seriously here for it! It’s got an old-school vibe to it…like we’re being introduced to something that’ll appear in Technicolor in our mind’s eye. I suppose it’s hard to describe, but I found this last track to be equally mesmerizing and soul-soothing at the same time…it’s a brilliant finish to what has been a stellar album to listen to from start to finish. Embon has a different approach to Jazz than most you’ll find, but it’s the differences that give this album its strength, and will have you craving for another listen to Where We Came From the very moment that it’s finished – great job Pablo!
Find out more about Pablo Embon from his official website at: https://www.pabloembon.com
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