Inspired by the foothills of the Sierra de Guadarrama mountains
north-west of Madrid, his home since August 2022, Milo Fitzpatrick
presents Sierra Tracks the new album from his expansive, cinematic,
chamber-jazz project Vega Trails.
Having cut 2022’s beautifully resonant debut album ‘Tremors in the
Static’ as a duo, alongside saxophonist Jordan Smart (Mammal Hands and
Sunda Arc), Milo now substantially expands upon that blueprint with his
follow-up, ‘Sierra Tracks’, which, as the title suggests, was conceived
at his new home in central Spain and adds piano, vibraphone and strings
to the mix.
From the epic five-minute opener, ‘Largo’, onwards, there’s a cinematic
feel to ‘Sierra Tracks’, as each piece unfolds according to its own
sweeping narrative, often wonderfully evocative of the mountains’
wide-open spaces, and also sometimes elaborately arranged with cello,
orchestral strings, vibraphone and piano, to evoke their awe-inspiring
natural splendour. ‘Reverie’ has a refrain that fades in and out, like a
daydream”. ‘Els’ is more firmly rooted in folk melody, while ‘Dream
House’ and ‘Sleepwalk Tokyo’ boost a sense of otherworldliness.
Tracklist:
1. Largo
2. Els
3. Murmurations
4. Dream House
5. Clarifantasia
6. Reverie
7. Murmur
8. Old Friend; The Sea
9. When This Is Over
10. Sleepwalk Tokyo