American / English

American / English

Acoustic Alchemy has remained one of the most popular smooth-jazz ensembles around, as evidenced by their record sales and consistently high placement on the charts, and AMERICAN/ENGLISH will not disappoint long-time fans. In fact, this recording is something of a return to form for the group. While the adventurous direction taken on previous outings is still present here, the emphasis is on melodic interplay and guitar dialogues as heard on early recordings by group founders Greg Carmichael and Nick Webb. The reggae-touched "Trinity" and the lovely "Cherry Hill" are two examples of this album's return to Acoustic Alchemy basics. Yet there is plenty of stylistic fun, too. A number of dance-inflected tracks, like the bouncing, clubby vibe of "So Kylie" and "Say Yeah" keep things lively, while doses of soulful pop on "She Speaks American English" and "The Detroit Shuffle" prove that guitarist Miles Gilderdale is still exerting a strong influence on the band's direction. Nevertheless, laid-in-the-cut tunes like "The Crossing" seem to evoke Acoustic Alchemy's special magic, and make AMERICAN/ENGLISH a treat for both older and newer fans.