An eclectic, brightly attenuated recording, 2018's
The Junction is
the Manhattan Transfer's first studio album since the death of founding member
Tim Hauser from a heart attack in 2014. It's also the first album the legendary vocal group has recorded with his replacement,
M-Pact vocalist
Trist Curless. Along with
Curless, once again showcased are the talents of longtime group members
Cheryl Bentyne,
Janis Siegel, and
Alan Paul.
The Junction follows up 2009's ambitious
The Chick Corea Songbook, and finds the group moving away from that album's organic, fusion-influenced sound and delving instead into a sparkling, jazzy mix of inspired covers and originals. Produced with studio savvy by
Mervyn Warren (
Whitney Houston,
Michael Buble,
Take 6),
The Junction is a sleek production, where
the Transfer's laser-tone vocals are framed by warm keyboards, percolating beats, and just enough electronic flourishes to lend the proceedings a contemporary vibe. They kick things off with "Cantaloop (Flip Out!)," a deft rendition of
Us3's "Cantaloop (Flip Fantasia)," which was itself a reworking of
Herbie Hancock's classic "Cantaloupe Island." Also compelling is the group's take on
XTC's "The Man Who Sailed Around His Soul," in which they juxtapose
Curless' lead vocals on the angular, loungey verses with the group's diamond-toned, horn section-accented harmonies on the choruses. Elsewhere,
Paul shines on the languid, bossa nova-tinged "Sometimes I Do," and
Siegel leads the group with emotive passion through
Rickie Lee Jones' "Ugly Man." While
Hauser's warm vocals and artistic vision were a huge part of
the Manhattan Transfer, the group has found a worthy successor in
Curless, who brings his own adept vocal skills to the ensemble. Furthermore, with all the members of the group adding their own original ideas to the album, as they've done in the past,
The Junction works as both a tribute to
Hauser and the mark of a new beginning. ~ Matt Collar
