Noy, Oz: Schizophrenic

Israeli born Oz Noy, now living in new York, is back with a new album Schizophrenic, the follow up to his 2007 album Fuzzy. Since the age of 13 Oz Noy has been honing his skills as a studio musician and prolific solo artist. Joining Noy on his latest are Will Lee, Keith Carlock Anton Fig, Dave Weckl, Steve Lukather, Ricky Peterson and Chris Palmaro, an impressive list of musicians to be sure. The musical performances presented here are top notch and I expected nothing less. While I really liked his previous effort I think Schizophrenic sets the bar even higher. This time around Oz Noy presents the listener with outstanding melodies to go along with his virtuoso play. Do not get me wrong, there were nice melodies on the last album, but on Schizophrenic it all comes together, making a better album all around. Noy incorporates blues, rock , fusion and jazz, infusing it with his unique style and vision. At times the music reminded me of Steely Dan, not at all derivative, but in how smooth sounding this album can be.

What makes Noy such a special musician is his ability to incorporate so many styles of play into his music, never letting monotony factor into the equation. Noy is always able to keep things interesting, even on the slower numbers, where the melodic nature of the music plays a starring role. While Noy can shred with the best of them, he also demonstrates plenty of feel amongst these nine tunes.

The album kicks off to great start with the cool grooves of "Ice Pick", a charming number with choppy rhythms and a cool jazz-rock vibe that really works. More great grooves can be found in the irresistible "120 Heart Beats" where Noy demonstrates outstanding musical chops. I especially like the way he is able to get different sounds out of his guitar. The pace slows with the smooth jazziness of "Seven" featuring another nice hook. One of the album's best songs includes the one-two punch of Noy and Lukather as they light up the title track, making this a real treat for guitar fans. Infectious rhythms, heavy riffs, tasty organ fills and guitar pyrotechnics combine to give this one real flair.

While there is no doubting the instrumental prowess on display, for me it is all about the melody and that is what makes this album so good. If you are into jazz-rock filled with memorable hooks, look no further than Schizophrenic. Thank you Mr. Noy!

Track Listing:
1. Ice Pick (5:55)
2. 120 Heart Beats (6:55)
3. Seven (6:00)
4. Schizophrenic (7:11)
5. Elephant Walk (7:14)
6. Twice In A While (6:48)
7. Jelly Blue (6:44)
8. Underwater Romance (7:32)
9. Bug Out (7:12)

Added: August 30th 2009
Reviewer: Jon Neudorf
Score:
Related Link: Artist's Official Site
Hits: 2237
Language: english

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