Tal Wilkenfeld
made her bones as a bass prodigy, impressing such heavy-hitters as
Herbie Hancock
,
Lee Ritenour
, and
Jeff Beck
when she was in her early twenties.
Wilkenfeld
gained their attention through the dexterous chops she displayed on her 2007 debut
Transformation
. An audacious if slightly old-fashioned exercise in jazz fusion,
has little to do with
Love Remains
, the sophomore set
delivered 12 long years later.
spent those years working as a sidewoman -- her main gig was in
's band, but she also worked with
Toto
Ryan Adams
Todd Rundgren
Jackson Browne
-- while also redefining her solo music, moving firmly into the realm of '90s alternative rock. With its cascades of roiling guitars and dark, churning rhythms -- heavy textures tempered by a clutch of songs anchored on insistent acoustic guitars --
seems to belong to another time: one that existed just after grunge and ceased to be after the rise of Total Request Live. What gives
a bit of a spark is
's evident passion. Given her background, a high level of craft should be expected --
and her supporting musicians do not flaunt their skills, but rather hit their marks with precision -- but what's surprising is how
pours herself into these retro-'90s anthems, and that level of emotional engagement prevents
from an exercise in throwback alternative rock. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine