With Nowhere Fast, John Paul Turner – the vocalist and multi-instrumentalist behind The B – Roads – has created an album that journeys in and out of times, places, and mental states. Self-described as the “crossroads meeting of post-rock and jazz folk”, it is scattered with a variety of sounds, from rich and bright instrumentals to pensive and contemplative lyrics and vocals.
The album opens with “You’ve Arrived At Your Destination”, a track that seems harmless on the surface (thanks to the shiny saxophone), but makes you really uncomfortable as a GPS voice starts breaking up with you. It is timely and shocking, and blurs the line between the digital and real world, a scary but not far-from-reality prospect.
It is followed by a track that sounds like a dreamcatcher. “The Prize of Timing” is a journey through the pulls and the sways, waiting and reaching for something that might possibly be everything, the event horizon where all is seen. The sounds are bright and bubbling to the surface. “Grace Says”, on the other hand, is a slower, quieter, and melancholic song. It introduces a push and pull between two people in the album: While one is trying to reach, the other is asking to let go. And just like that, they are stuck walking circles around each other.
There is something scientific and physical about the themes of the project too, which becomes more prevalent with the track “Rope”. The perception of time as never-ending, the swinging of the rope like a pendulum, the rolling of the rocks and talks of momentum: All of this takes place as the saxophone and vocals engage in a musical duel, which comes together breathtakingly. It is reminiscent of a slice-of-life film soundtrack, and dare I say, the opening of this track is my favorite 25-second stretch on the album. It makes you want to pick up an instrument and start playing yourself.
What follows “Rope” is the heroic and transporting story of the “Sheriff of Ghost Town”. Here it can be useful to mention that the project itself is based in an ancient military barracks in the exact center of England. The popular hero marches and flashes his smile at people as all the outlaws have been eradicated, and quite possibly he has been labeled sarcastically as the sheriff of a ghost town.
“One More For The Road” is exactly that: A road trip song, looking to the future. It is feel-good and the vocal layering adds significantly to the dynamics of the song. The saxophone between the verses is beautifully played and steals the spotlight. The seventh track “Spanish Mary” features vocals by Mary Garcia and is sung entirely in Spanish. It has an ancient quality, but it is fast-paced and so packed instrumentally and vocally that it does not give you room to breathe at all.
“Doesn’t matter” is a nihilist track with anarchist themes that are still backed by a subtle moral call. It has a dirty sound that fits the themes of the song. “Blood moon” is an ode to winter nights and the moon featuring pretty electric guitars. The album ends with a distinctly different sound, smooth and sanitary as two people decide to stay on the different sides of a line in “That’s Why There’s A Line”.
Lyrically, the album plays with tones: There is vulnerability, sarcasm, animosity, resolve, and much else packed in the ten-song project. The same can be said for the instruments: They range from bright and playful to dark and gloomy, serving an exquisite meal of a little bit of everything. It is half-instrumental, half-song, and ot serves such variety in its thirty minutes of runtime that you get a taste of everything from a love song to a country-coded sheriff track.
Take a listen to Nowhere Fast below.
Written by Riya
