Percussionist Joe Westerlund is a prolific musician, probably currently best known as a third of the brilliant Setting, but also a member of outfits like Megafaun, Califone, and The Dead Tongues. As well as band work, in 2020 Joe also began exploring music as a solo artist, starting with Reveries in the Rift and continuing with 2023’s Elegies for the Drift. Curiosities from the Shift completes a trilogy of sorts and sees Joe veer in a different direction. Although Reveries contained plenty of rhythm and groove, there was a looseness to the music that was more present on Elegies, with both records having something of an improvisational bent.
The catalyst for Curiosities from the Shift was Joe’s fascination with the clave, a rhythmic pattern that is often used as the basis for traditional Latin rhythms and has since bled into many genres existing today, from rock to jazz. What this concept means to us, the listener, is a broad, rich tapestry of sound constructed from and existing through rhythms and grooves.
Being fairly unacademic when it comes to the building blocks of music, my approach to this one was just to listen, with less focus on context and theory and more on the myriad variety of sounds that happen across twelve tracks and just under an hour. And it really is a treasure trove of an album; a rich listening experience made by musicians with a serious depth of knowledge of their craft.
Existing groups like Natural Information Society spring to mind fairly quickly when listening to songs like Peebles ‘n’ Stones, which is built on a thumping bass line and uses metallophones and electronics to layer rhythms, but the music here is less meditative than Josh Abrams’ outfit and more focused on grooves. Ironically, when listening to Fone, the sound I was reminded of was the Nathan Bowles Trio’s [Nathan is another third of Setting] Are Possible album and The Ternions song, with a bit of Mind Maintenance thrown in. The rhythm here is sturdy and irresistible, with percussion and electronics blending with metallophones and, beautifully, violin (played by Libby Rodenbough and Chris Jusell). It’s super-cool.
Elsewhere, A Trance Delay brings in warped saxophone from Sam Gendel and trumpet samples from Trever Hagen to accompany a bright, sparse percussion line and deep drums, with alien electronics completing an eerie little soundscape.
Closing song Felt Like Floating continues in this vein, but adds muscle. The saxophone takes centre stage here, with some urgent playing in places, while high electronic drones and metallophones provide backing. By the final third, the music has found another gear and blends abandon with strong rhythms. It’s quite a euphoric way to end an album that demands multiple listens to truly appreciate what it has to offer. And believe me, you’ll want to spend some time with it.
Curiosities from the Shift (October 24th, 2025) Psychic Hotline
Bandcamp: https://joewesterlund.bandcamp.com/album/curiosities-from-the-shift