What drives the sound and underpins it all is the steadfast, resolute guitar and drums from Steve Eagles and David Aylward. Over this strong foundation, Ted Milton’s sax and vocals can be shown to their full, glorious extent because they clash completely for the most part- which is an art itself, yet to be effective both sax and vocals in this style need a steadfast foundation on which to paint and here, this is provided in spades. This album is a revelation and complete joy. It crosses so many boundaries it makes any attempt at genre assignment meaningless. This is funk, this is punk, this is jazz but above all this is free, arty music performed by musicians who know exactly what they intend to achieve. Ted Milton is one of the freest, most exceptional players with an ear and a knack of placing notes perfectly, both on voice but especially on sax. His way of playing is a gift, which few players have, and it brings to the music something exceptional and completely distinctive.
What was impressive is that even from a distance, the voice is still heard and Ted Milton uses his voice much the same way as he uses his sax – for rhythm, for emphasis and to add to the range of sounds. The words are verging on the insane at times but they are used in a really intelligent way because they are chosen to add to the texture, the rhythm and the very essence of the tracks on this album due to the way they are used and spoken, screamed, spat out or gently stated
Each word is used in different ways, almost as part of the music itself and crystal in their clarity. At times words and music meld so Milton’s sax playing acts like a second vocalist that is completely engrossing.
The music is old fashioned in some ways and the structure semi-predictable but what I like about the music is that presentation and detail is important and this makes a different. Those perfectly placed discordant notes over stolid background work, the small details in the voice; all make a difference to the texture and feel. Blurt have embraced modernity but only in part. A bit like the emails, I get from Ted – sent from a modern hand-held device but the text ranges from ordinary typeface, through bold to an alarming vivid blue in bold type. Yet it is the content that is important and the message is paramount, just like the music.
It is impossible to get over in narrative just how wondrous this music is. It needs listening to. It is, for me at least, almost the perfect noise. Did I say I like this?