'Other Doors' by Soft Machine
It’s usually a good idea to avoid bands that kept at it long after the departure of their last original member. Soft Machine is among the few exceptions. Their 1968 debut album was sourced from a psychedelic kaleidoscope of influences. Afterward, they headed toward jazz with an ever-evolving lineup that continues to develop, alongside their music, in the present day.
On their latest, Other Doors, the longest surviving member is drummer John Marshal, enrolled since 1972. Guitarist John Etheridge joined in 1975 and saxophonist-flutist-keyboardist Theo Travis in 2015. Fretless bassist Freddy Baker is new.
Other Doors glances back as it looks forward. The playful “Joy of a Toy” was originally heard on that long ago debut album, and the sinuously melodic “Penny Hitch” was first recorded on Seven (1973). The new material is mostly strong and often intriguing. Etheridge’s ringing guitar riff pushes the title track onto the lane where fusion jazz converges with progressive rock. “Crooked Usage” begins as a furtive composition before its improvisation landed it somewhere near avant-garde jazz. The overall mood is contemplative—but with a bite.
