Mosey Beat spends the 13 tracks that make up the band’s new album, Nomadic Vision, forging their own path by criss-crossing through genres. Their journey is a funky one, to say the least.
The opening number, “Slow Easy Rise,” sets the pace for what follows as the Phillipsburg-based trio locks into a series of tight grooves, playing with tempos and time signatures along the way.
Bassist Dave Abraham steals the show early on with impressive fretboard work, most notably on “Fried,” “Afternoon Funk,” and “Mirage.” Abraham’s bottom-end boogie is the engine that drives Nomadic Vision, steered by his rhythm section counterpart Blair O’Connor (drums). the two make for a potent combination.
Singer-guitarist Taylor O’Connor explores the space between the rhythms by toggling between jangly, melodic fills and blistering, rapid-fire leads.
Nomadic Vision’s strength lies in the musicianship and the band members’ ability to feed and play off one another. Their chemistry is apparent throughout the album. On Nomadic Vision, Mosey Beat extract the best elements of Phish, Pigeons Playing Ping Pong, and Santana, and filter them through a colorful prism of spacey jam rock.
While the jams are tasty and plentiful, the byproduct is the occasional, though momentary, feeling of deja vu when the music meanders a minute too long in spots. But a little in-the-pocket noodling can be forgiven.
Mosey Beat will celebrate the release of Nomadic Vision on May 17 with a CD release concert at Pearly Baker’s Alehouse in Easton. Show time is 10:30 p.m.
“Nomadic Vision” will be available digitally May 1, including Spotify, iTunes, and Google Play.