Moroccan Roll
Moroccan Roll expands Brand X's jazz-rock through softer textures, extra percussion and more open arrangements. The music is still demanding, but it does not rely on a constant show of force. Percy Jones' bass and Phil Collins' drums remain central, while guitar and keyboards move between gentle passages and more energetic exchanges.
Sun in the Night introduces the change through sitar and a brief vocal part. The unusual combination gives the opening a different colour from a straightforward instrumental-fusion track. The singing is less convincing than the arrangement around it, though, making the experiment more interesting as a change of texture than as a song.
Why Should I Lend You Mine (When You've Broken Yours off Already) gives the band room to develop its quieter side. A slow, mellow opening gradually makes space for stronger instrumental playing. The contrast between the calm setting and John Goodsall's sharper guitar helps the long arrangement keep some direction. Its patient approach is one of the album's more appealing choices.
Hate Zone restores a firmer rhythmic attack. The drums and bass make the funk element clear, while the guitar gives the performance more bite. Disco Suicide also uses a strong electric-piano groove, but some of its synthesizer colour feels less effective. The arrangement has more energy than its smoother surfaces might suggest.
Malaga Virgen places Jones' bass near the centre, balancing a restrained introduction with more explosive playing. His sound gives the piece a distinctive presence, even when the extended bass focus starts to feel excessive. Orbits offers a much shorter showcase, but it contributes less to the shape of the album.
Macrocosm closes with a stronger sense of collective movement. Guitar takes a prominent role, and the changes between quieter playing and fuller attacks bring back the band's playful character. It is a more satisfying use of their skill than the smaller fragments scattered through the record.
The mixture is uneven. A few brief ideas feel unnecessary, and the experiments do not always produce equally strong writing. Even so, the more thoughtful arrangements and changing instrumental colours make Moroccan Roll worth exploring. Its best passages find an engaging balance between rhythmic precision and a looser, more reflective mood.
