the rising sign: whatever is real

Northampton, UK Conservatory-trained saxophonist, John Attis launched the rising sign in 2024 with a series of singles leading up to the release of his debut album, whatever is real. With eight tracks and a playtime of just over 40 minutes, it looks like a daunting listen but Attis’ musicality and blatant disregard for sticking to sound makes it fly by.

The opener, “nocturne” is the shortest song on the album at just over four minutes; coincidentally it is perhaps the best track. “nocturne” sees Attis do his best Rain Dogs-era Tom Waits impression. There is an off-kilter carnival feel to the song. Lines like “a city’s open rib cage lying bare to explore” paint an evocative picture.

The evocative lyrics continue throughout the album but the exact style of “nocturne” is never revisited. “down and troubled” has a similar off-kilter feel but more like a slightly warped Marvin Gaye record than a carnival. The song does have the most memorable chorus on the album.

The brass sounds shown in “nocturne” return on “time passes” but here it has a more neo-classical feel. The lyrics are still highly literary but feel secondary to the instrumentation and arrangement as if the song would work just as well as an instrumental.

The biggest outlier on the album is the closing track “shining eyes.” It is basically a chiptune track with minimal lyrical content. Although the entire album lacks cohesion, this is far afield from the rest. It is an experiment that doesn’t feel like it pays off.

Besides “shining eyes,” whatever is real is a pretty good album. Most songs are enjoyable while a few run long or are a bit dirge-like. No matter the genre or subject matter, John Attis’ musicality and literary lyrics shine through creating an ever-interesting listen at least.

Rating: 5.9/10

Listen on Apple Music

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