Sheets of Sound

But there are striking differences from the past that deserve attention. The woven language is now more intuitive and, perhaps paradoxically, more mature, revealing a greater desire to take risks. In Sheets of Sound the meticulous interplay between guitar and piano stands out — instruments that share the same part of the sonic spectrum — and the mutual attentiveness, aimed at exploring synergies and avoiding collisions, carrying the music into unexpected situations that demand resolution. Lencastre uses the harmonic and rhythmic carpet that both create to explore the melodic component, always present but never obvious. Silence plays a decisive role here: what is not there, what happens in the interstices, is as significant as what we hear. “Managing when to play and when not to play is fundamental to maintaining the balance of the stories we try to tell,” Rodrigo Pinheiro tells us. “The decision not to play sometimes becomes more important than doing the opposite.” From the very first notes of “Embark,” we are drawn into a dreamlike atmosphere, with the sparse piano, the serene breath of the saxophone, and the guitar acting as the balancing force, displaying a constant harmonic concern. Serries provides a telegraphic cue for the restlessness of “Accent Marks a Note,” whose opening section highlights contrapuntal interplay, carving space for a surreptitious tension to expose the delicacy of the sonic edifice. There are moments of call and response and others of pure confrontation. In the second part, the atmosphere suddenly grows calmer, in a gradual crescendo toward its final breath. “In Succession” — which says (almost) everything about its relationship to the preceding piece — possesses a mysterious beauty, with the saxophone adding a layer to the patient labor of piano and guitar. At a certain point, the intensity increases without any loss of focus or clarity. More tense and nervous, “Action Beat” reveals saxophone and piano creating an energetic pattern, while the guitar provides rhythmic and harmonic support, until everything dissolves into the most eloquent silence. “Foreshadowed” is an eccentric ballad, with Lencastre and Pinheiro venturing into a spacious harmonic register, exploring colors and timbres. “Element of Heart,” a sonic filigree, has piano and guitar laying out the foundations for the saxophone to contribute to an intricate three-way interplay. The guitarist weaves his swift brushstrokes with Pinheiro’s crystalline notes, over which Lencastre roams freely. As the curtain falls, “Subtle Pattern Closure,” the longest piece on the album and its closing gesture, brings an (apparent) tranquility that keeps us alert, in an unbroken flow, as if something were lurking, imminent. Transition Unit offers us in Sheets of Sound music that is beautiful and elegant, in a world on fire.