Le Passage by Thierry Zaboitzeff

A quick glance through a history book only increases our mounting existential dread. Problems unaddressed, mistakes repeated, ruts deepened. We look out at the world — a flooded desert, a burned wasteland, a swollen ocean — and we can’t help but wonder how we ever thought we could organize a solution to the problems we see. Such topics feature heavily on the new record Le Passage by Thierry Zaboitzeff, a hair-raising progressive rock record that tells a vivid story of encroaching chaos and frustrated hope. The album plays out like a ballet, introducing each moment and character with a distinct musical motif, navigating a winding path through free jazz riffing, rigid motorik rocking, and sublime classical gliding. A bipolar trumpet takes on the role of main character, switching rapidly between a regal, open classical tone and a tight, rapid jazz sound. Despite this bombardment of bedlam, however, Zaboitzeff leaves a few spaces open for unscathed hope, ending the record on a straightforward, harmonious note that reminds us that, as long as we’re still singing, our story hasn’t ended yet.