You might not recognise the name, but chances are you’ve heard John Carroll Kirby’s work. The pianist, producer and composer has collaborated with artists including Solange, Frank Ocean, Bat for Lashes, Connan Mockasin, Sébastien Tellier, Harry Styles, and many more. Now, with his new solo album My Garden, Kirby is set to tell his own stories...

My Garden is an interesting celebration of life which is something, thanks to the current global situation, that we all need in our lives. It opens with the jazz / electronica mix of 'Blueberry Beads', which sets the scene for what is to come.

Over the course of the 9 tracks (32 min, 16 sec) Kirby takes us on a wandering journey, a journey which has its roots deeply seeped in jazz. But don't dismiss this if you're not a fan of jazz music, for the album is much more than this.

Experimentation in both instrumentation and presentation plays a pivotal role in the process. 'By the Sea', for example takes us to distant, exotic lands simply by the choice of instrument. The penultimate track 'Lay You Down' is probably this album's most mainstream, instantly accessible track.

Overall a wonderfully diverse and surprisingly welcoming LP that has enough layers to it to ensure that you keep coming back for more.

7

Nick Smithson