Eucalyptus

Since forming in 2009, Brodie West's octet Eucalyptus has become a favourite for a wide cross-section of listeners in their hometown of Toronto. They've also caught the ears of critics. It's easy to understand why on both counts the band's singular cocktail of styles is eminently listenable—an aromatic blend of off-kilter loungy repose, tropical polyrhythms, Sun Ra's intergalactic wonk, and a greasy dollop of proto-fusion groove. Topology of Time & Up Express etc. is Eucalyptus' seventh release since 2012, and their second for Telephone Explosion Records. Moves, the record's 2022 predecessor, began on a decidedly angular, percussion-heavy note, its nervy energy eventually dwindling to reveal their widest variety of music to date. The Wire's Daniel Spicer remarked of it that "the album’s seven concise tracks positively ping with ideas, piling up rich layers of horns, percussion, clavinet and electric guitar. Sly humour abounds on numbers like the tipsy bossa “It’s In A Move” and the bleary ballroom slow dance “Lookie”. But there’s a soulful core." Topology of Time & Up Express etc. serves up another phase in the evolution of Brodie West's craft and Eucalyptus as a band. West's more seamless integration of his deft melodicism and rhythmic preoccupations coupled with a cozier ensemble dynamic make for an intoxicating blend of the familiar and the less-than-familiar. ——— "You’re not likely to encounter an album like Moves anytime soon." — John Garratt, PopMatters "Moves is always more than entertaining, never less than art." — Stuart Broomer, The WholeNote "Overflows with strong song ideas packed into tightly knit arrangements with all soloing in support of the melodies. Despite these straightforward building blocks, there is a disorienting quality to the tunes that attests not only to the sly skill of the players, but also to their experience as a unit which encourages subtle digressions." — Lawrence Joseph, Musicworks