One of the greatest bass players in modern times has returned with a new single coming from her Grammy-winning magnum opus, 12 Little Spells, titled Formwela 10 which showcases once again the rawness of her ideas, and the beauty of her talent.

The song starts with bass and vocal, with a distinct lack of processing on either. Her voice wanders through complex melodies as her fingers slide gracefully from note to note, chord to key. The lack of clear structure in her delivery makes this song almost feel like a melodic spoken-word art piece, but the theme in melody and rhythm make this song truly memorable, even in its complexities. The way Esperanza moves in her melodies is truly breathtaking, especially as the rest of the band kicks in. There isn’t a point where there’s a clear rhythm, but the ambience and percussive work widens the sound in the most mesmerizing way. The piano is especially hypnotizing, and with its addition the song almost has a traditional-pop feel to it. The song is very old in its soul, but very new in its ideas. Not new in the sense of following pop conventions, quite the contrary; the ideas are so progressive that they almost sound foreign to the musical world, especially to those not already familiar with the upright bass player. Everything mentioned adds so much beauty and value to this song, truly making it stand out amongst so much of her contemporaries, even her earlier work.

Esperanza truly is one of the most genius musicians of our generation, even outside of jazz. Despite the avant-garde nature of the ideas, her authenticity makes this approachable for just about anyone Formwela 10 is one of her greatest work, as she proves once again that she is a force that is ever-growing.

Author: Nicholas Gaudet

Music producer and writer from Dieppe, Canada.