The band Esthema may hail from Boston, but it is the diverse makeup of the band that makes them so unique. The world fusion quintet contains some members from Turkey, Brazil, and Argentina. They are all thoroughly trained musicians, and to add to their range, some of them have trained throughout several countries in Europe, including Spain, Greece, Belgium, and Ireland. Putting all of these pieces together, Esthema brings something original on their second release, The Hereness and Nowness of Things.
Esthema’s first release, Apart From the Rest was composed of six tracks that were written by guitarist Andy Milas. They were arranged by the entire band and included many elements of Eastern and Western music. On The Hereness and Nowness of Things the creation process is pretty much the same, outside of “Four Colors”, which was written by violinist Onur Dilisen.
With over eight songs, Esthema really takes you around the world while ranging from more traditional elements to some more modern, and often a combination of them. The styles vary, and you will be reminded of different regions several times, sometimes even in the same song. Personally I tend to prefer the more traditional aspects, but I think the quality of the musicians carries you through the different characteristics that you may like less and makes the transitions smooth. My favorite track is the opener “Change of Season”, so sample that one first. The closer “On & On” tends to be more modern, so check out that one to get a better sense of the range of this album.
At first The Hereness and Nowness of Things seemed an unfitting title for this album. There is much more to this album then the “here and now”, it certainly seems to cover the “then and there” as well. However, the more I think about the title, how it feels, and the time in which it is being released, Esthema seems to have a solid grasp of what the hereness and nowness of things is about.
Kevin Kozel-MuzikReviews.com Staff
November 5, 2009
