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New album from New York-based Time in Transit is rooted in city's bustling streets

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Time in Transit could only emanate from New York. The band's freewheeling, gritty vision is rooted in the city's bustling streets. On the group's self-titled latest album, progressive jazz is made accessible for once as the genre's wild experimentation is tempered with sleek craftsmanship and an actual point. In other words, the songs do not meander in an aimless confusion. It becomes quickly obvious that saxophonist Glenn White and his band are sculpting actual soundtracks to their fevered imaginations, producing tracks that are atmospheric, compelling, and even playful.

White's saxophone playing is often the eye of the storm. On “3 for 3," White delivers a smooth, soothing performance that is the antithesis of the shivering, jumpy drums enveloping him. It's a balance of contrasts that works shockingly well. White's saxophone gently weaves its way through the rubble, caressing the ears with its gentle tones. However, White can push the envelope, too. On “Chant," White opens the piece with sultry textures before descending into a slightly unruly direction; it recalls those Pacific Northwest afternoons that begin with the sun and blue skies but then everything is wrapped over by ominous clouds.

A few of the album's song titles—"Time Baum," “Psychic Sidekick"—reveal the group's clever wit. But it is on “Goth Girl" wherein Time in Transit's sense of humor materializes into an actual song. With its frenzied, slamming drums and knife-sharp guitars, Time in Transit echoes the late '70s-early '80s post-punk and New Wave scene as White delivers appropriately abrasive sax, nearly sounding like Romeo Void in their prime. Whether they're actually paying homage to regional pioneers of the post-punk underground like the Bush Tetras is not known; however, there's no question that they capture its streetwise tension in a remarkably accurate and similarly thrilling fashion.

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