For their eighth studio album, Medeski, Martin & Wood unleash the soundtrack to what would happily be the last shindig you'll ever attend. With the help of Dust Brother John King, (producer on 'Paul's Boutique' & 'Odelay') 'End of World Party (Just in Case)' proves to be the trio's most adventurous & interesting outing to date. Embracing production techniques instead of the usual jazz approach, MMW take the listener through more experiences than most artists hope to do in a lifetime. John Medeski relies less on his Honer organ & clavinet, instead focusing on the eerie orchestration of the mellotron & the tasty sound of the Mini-Moog. This approach adds darkness & depth to songs like "Anonymous Skulls" & "End of World Party." Guest guitarist Marc Ribot brings the feel of John Mclaughlin-era fusion to "Reflector", while providing soulful flavor to the funky party-startin' "New Planet". Many of the numbers on this album tend to have a more hip-hop feel to them - with the emphasis placed more on concise beats & the placement of odd noises & embelishments. Always a jazz band at heart, MMW stay closer to their school days - providing interesting progressions based solely on the solid bass lines, laid-back beats & a beautiful piano/organ approach - on numbers like "Bloody Oil" & "Mami Gato". While "Shine It" plays a little more upbeat than the previously mentioned two, it stills stays closer to selections from the trio's earlier work. Rocking the [End of World] party with ass-shaking funk proves to be MMW's forte - Martin & Wood play in the pocket & Medeski drops skillful clavinet work - on songs like "Curtis." "Midnight Poppies / Crooked Birds" spends most of its time laying a psychedelic texture with eerie organ swells before dropping into what could be background music for a funky mall in space. The album ends with the 70's cop television theme song, "Queen Bee". Again Marc Ribot adds the perfect accompaniment to Medeski, Martin & Wood's signature sound. This number starts off with a nice groove & catchy organ line. Ribot & Medeski step up the pace - embellishing & soloing over their groundwork - as visions of detectives sliding across car hoods fill the brain. The number builds toward a fabulous crescendo as the cruiser speeds off on the chase. All in all, this album continues in the MMW tradition of exploring new ground while maintaining their jazz heritage. Medeski, Martin & Wood prove themselves yet again as one of the few groups who can take a love for improvisation & exploration to the studio and produce captivating & original tracks. "End of World Party" marks the bands constant stride towards groove-based music that crosses all boundaries. With their attention to detail & pension for tight, funky little nuggets of songs, MMW will surely gain new fans & continue to push the boundaries of jazz & popular music.
