Deep of Time

Cory Seznec’s fourth album, Deep of Time, conceived and produced during the COVID-19 lockdown, presents a contemplative, metaphysical, ethereal side of the guitarist-singer-songwriter’s purview. Two different takes on the title-track open and close the 13-track album, both featuring Seznec’s spry flatpicking in support of a lilting melody and softly reverbed vocals. Most of the material is contoured by the Franco-American’s fondness for melodies, rhythms and grooves derived from extensive travels in Africa. ‘Trailblazer’ fuses Songhai and Euro-American folk elements. In ‘Comparaison du Poisson’, a kalimba-like pizzicato cello opening leads to a chimurenga-esque sonic adventure. Rock, hip-hop and East African styles mesh in ‘Two Minds Meet’. A somewhat obscure uptempo Kenyan guitar style from the 1950s known as omutibo marks ‘Plouk Mama’, a song about a fraught love affair, exuberantly rendered in French by Seznec. Co-produced with Jean-Etienne Loose and Geoffroy Dauptain of Tonehouse Studio, the music is elegantly crafted to bring out the best in Seznec and his accompanists: David Chalumeau (harmonica), Raphaël Chassin (drummer), Paolo Conti (pedal steel), Thomas Garoche (bass), Jean-Max Méry (organ), Daniel Mizrahi (guitar), Renaud Ollivier (percussion), Rafgee (sousaphone/trumpet) and Duncan Wickel (fiddle, cello).