This World Alone

With a name derived from the Hindi for travel, iyatraQuartet – an ensemble of cello, clarinet, percussion and violin – journey from ragas to Steve Reich on a genre-spanning debut album. The London-based quartet's chameleonic nature extends to their experimentations with timbre, which hear the serene lilt of Alice Barron's violin on ‘Salutaris’ transform into a seagull squawk during a raucous solo on ‘Temple’. Similarly, George Sleightholme's clarinet playing gives the listener a new appreciation for the instrument's versatility, ranging from bustling Middle Eastern melodies to insistent minimalist pulses.

Less footloose in feel, Richard Phillips’ cello playing nevertheless stands out. On ‘Talenga’ he alights upon an instance of exquisite polyphony while in duet with the thumb piano of percussionist Will Roberts. It is a moment that must have caused hairs to stand on end during the improvisatory sessions in which the album's compositions were forged. The magic is over too soon, however.

iyatraQuartet are laudably unafraid to challenge the listener with art-music excursions, but at times the record is a little too restless. While This World Alone feels like an album from a group in search of their sound, it is certainly a journey worth joining.