...Quest... Chicago IL

...Quest...

Brazz Tree

Independent release, 2005

REVIEW BY: Vish Iyer

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED: 07/14/2006

Simplicity in music is all but irrelevant in this day and age, with music in its most humble form being nothing but a thing of the past, something passé for today’s generation that is blessed with technology at its behest. In such a day and age where technology in music has become as integral as the music instrument itself, a band like Brazz Tree, for the kind of music they are making, is an aberration.

If technology is believed to be a norm in modern music, then Brazz Tree would be music’s Amish equivalent; overly modest is what this debut is. ...Quest... is music in its most organic form. Not only the style of this band, but the music itself is nothing less than earthy to the greatest extent possible. Consisting of duo Mazz Swift (on vocals and violin) and Brad Hammonds (on acoustic guitar), Brazz Tree has a sound that is based (completely) on two of music’s most basic instruments, in their rawest forms.

For an album that has absolutely no rhythm section (no drums at all and minimal bass guitars), and no other extravagance whatsoever, ...Quest... is phenomenally exciting. The band has a very free-form style of composing, so the tracks seem very spontaneous. The whole sound of ...Quest... feels like an aggressive jam between Hammonds and Swift.

Beneath Brazz Tree’s rusticism is a band of great depth and serious talent. Swift is an elegant lyricist and an articulate singer; her singing styles change effortlessly as the duo’s eclectic music does, which is a farrago of diverse influences ranging from Traditional Scottish to Americana.