Music Review: Desert Tales

Desert Tales encapsulates and evokes the expansive mystique of the desert and connect it to the coast with its churning surf and Middle Eastern instrumental sounds. The Scimitars achieve takeoff by negotiating the swirling currents and finding the tricky balance between surf music’s guitar-driven melodic song orientation and the fluid and open-ended nature of Middle Eastern music.

The key differentiator in their sound is the electric Bağlama Saz played by Ran Mosessco, who also composed and arranged all the songs. These songs display Mosessco’s versatility with a variety of instruments along with alluring pull of his songcraft. Jonpaul Balak’s bass forms the backbone of their sound and provides a thick low-end rumble, while the Darbuka hand drums and the Sarangi accent the mesmerizing and intricate fretboard framework.

The opener “Port Saiedy” arrives like a whirling helicopter with its pulsating percussion and blade-like guitars slicing the air. Seemingly inspired by Ennio Morricone, “Damascus Steel” melds the Middle Eastern to the Spaghetti Western. As the song title indicates, “Marquis de Saz” prominently features the electric Saz. A more resonant tone is instantly achieved with this switch from electric guitar to the Turkish national instrument. “Taverna” is a surging and striking Greek-inspired number that combines dashing hand drums and a serpentine melody. While their wide array of instruments are played mostly in a straight-ahead traditional manner, “Into the Catacombs” departs into a more experimental direction with its dissonance. Where will this adventurous group head next?

Desert Tales covers the spectrum from immediately captivating numbers to more slow-burning atmospheric affairs. Further, the Scimitars achieve an all-encompassing sound that washes over listeners. With these overlapping sounds, the Scimitars have extended the range of surf music out to the lands of the shifting sands. - Ted (Downtown)

Desert Tales on Freegal

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