David Cain & The Senses - Looking For Your Face

Like a painter mixing colors together to see what new shades he can discover, David Cain is a risk taking artist with his band The Senses. On the Grammy nominated “Looking For Your Face”, the risk pays off as The Senses take cues from smooth jazz and infuse them with modern drum samples and funk bop to create their own trademark blend of a sensual jazz experience.

The lyrics are based on the love poems of Rumi and you can tell as they are sung fluidly like poetry by Cain on songs like the title track in which he also scats freely with the melody. This lucid concoction is further emphasized by Cain’s voice when he whispers vocals that sound like a voice in your head speaking directly to you rather than someone on a CD. It is the haunting quality in his voice that adds another dimension to the poetry when he sings, “What I see will always be enough for me” in the opener “There Is A Place” .

The more traditional sounding jazz in “Keeps Me Alive” or “World Of Love”, with its more relaxed and soothing tone, are in stark contrast to the industrial drum sample and “Frankenstein”-esque synth orbiting fuzz solo in “Fire Of Love”. Again, this is an example of blending and mixing different colors together onto an empty canvas and seeing what works and what doesn’t. The experiments don’t end there either. Out of nowhere on “Try To Remember” it sounds like Buckethead decided to make an impromptu performance, or got lost and entered the wrong recording studio, and laid down scorching guitar lines. But it’s not Buckethead, it’s Howard Freitag. The Senses willingness to take such chances and the faith that Cain puts in his band mates is apparent in instances such as this and helps lend a confidence to their music. The musical exploration that The Senses invite the listener on seems to have no clear destination at times when they play freely on the loose “How Long” but that is what makes it so interesting to listen to. The albums closer, “Master Alchemist”, is the standout track in the collection. All the elements displayed in the previous tracks are layered together here in a memorable acid jazz number with popping funk bass and DJ samples, providing a final example of the Senses’ ability to push their own boundaries.

It comes as no surprise that “Looking For Your Face” was nominated for a Grammy. The talent of each member of the Senses and their leader David Cain is heard on every track as they create a unique album that stands out from other jazz venture today. Tapping on some unknown nerve in the back of your mind, David Cain and The Senses provide a relaxing and intricate sound that always seems to offer something new upon each listen.

"Looking for your Face" on last.fm