Zoh Amba turns Eyes Full toward Appalachian songcraft and raw folk-rock narrative

Zoh Amba’s Eyes Full is a reinvention story, and those are always more interesting when they are not entirely clean. Reviewed on 9 June, the Matador release finds the improvising saxophonist and experimental musician moving toward a more traditional singer-songwriter and alt-country frame. That shift is striking because Amba’s background has been associated with intense free-jazz and New York experimental circles, while Eyes Full returns toward Appalachian roots, character-based narratives and a rawer live-band approach. The record was reportedly made with zero overdubs, which gives the songs a sense of exposure even when the writing moves through familiar folk-rock terrain. What matters here is the risk. Amba is not simply adding a guitar to an existing identity. They are testing whether the ferocity of an improviser can survive inside song form. Even when the experiment is uneven, the attempt is worth hearing.

Source: https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/zoh-amba-eyes-full/