The Call Within

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The Call Within
Studio album by
ReleasedAugust 28, 2020[1]
Length47:45
LabelNonesuch Records[1][2][3]
Tigran Hamasyan chronology
They Say Nothing Stays The Same (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
(2019)
The Call Within
(2020)
StandArt
(2022)
Singles from The Call Within
  1. "Levitation 21"
    Released: 28 May 2020[1]
  2. "New Maps"
    Released: 13 July 2020[4]
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Radio13[5]
AllMusic[3]

The Call Within is the ninth album and fourth release on Nonesuch Records by Tigran Hamasyan,[2] released 28 August 2020.

Content[edit]

The Call Within is described by Hamasyan as taking inspiration from numerous sources, including contemporary and historical maps, poetry, Armenian culture, cinematography, and geometry, a mixture "blurring lines between historic reality and the imaginary world."[6] In terms of the actual musical style, The Call Within features Hamasyan's standard mixture of progressive metal, jazz fusion, and Armenian folk, but with a few new twists. On several tracks, Hamasyan makes use of electronic keyboards,[2] and the album features several guest features. Animals as Leaders guitarist Tosin Abasi is featured on the track "Vortex," providing guitar work, and vocalist Areni Agbabian and cellist Artyom Manukyan provide contributions to "Our Film".[1][7][6][8][9][10][2][5][excessive citations]

The lead single and opening track "Levitation 21," was described as "combustible," with a "high-velocity forcefulness [that] sneaks up" on the listener.[2] This style is kept throughout the tracklist, Marlbank's Daniel Stenson calling the album "a spectacular affair, darkly prog in places, feverishly intense."[7] While Jeff Tamarkin of JazzTimes noted that the more progressive tracks like "Ara Resurrected" veered towards "bombast," he conceded that the writing was "crafty enough to keep it lean and moving" throughout.[2]

However, The Call Within features several other styles. The track "Old Maps," featuring a children's choir from the Varduhi Art School, was described as "a mélange of pacifying notes and voices floating just out of reach," and "divine in nature." Critics noted that "[the album's] greatest strength is in the several divergent guises it assumes."[2]

Track listing[edit]

All tracks are written by Tigran Hamasyan

No.TitleLength
1."Levitation 21"5:05
2."Our Film (feat. Areni Aghbabian and Artyom Manukyan)"5:13
3."Ara Resurrected"8:22
4."At a Post-Historic Seashore"1:39
5."Space of Your Existence"4:42
6."The Dream Voyager"5:05
7."Old Maps (feat. Varduhi Art School Children’s Choir)"5:05
8."Vortex (feat. Tosin Abasi)"5:19
9."37 Newlyweds"3:33
10."New Maps"6:17
Total length:47:45

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d "Tigran hears The Call Within - major new album set for release - first single 'Levitation 21' out now". Jazzwise.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Tamarkin, Jeff (September 15, 2020). "Tigran Hamasyan: The Call Within (Nonesuch)". JazzTimes. Retrieved October 10, 2020.
  3. ^ a b Jurek, Thom. "Tigran Hamasyan: The Call Within". AllMusic. Retrieved October 10, 2020.
  4. ^ "Watch: Tigran Hamasyan Releases "New Maps" from Upcoming Album, "The Call Within"". Nonesuch Records. July 13, 2020. Retrieved October 10, 2020.
  5. ^ a b Fenton, John (August 29, 2020). "Album Review: Tigran Hamasayan - The Call Within (Warners/Nonesuch)". Radio13. Retrieved October 10, 2020.
  6. ^ a b "The Call Within by Tigran Hamasyan". Nonesuch Records Official Website. Nonesuch Records. Archived from the original on July 19, 2020. Retrieved April 11, 2021.
  7. ^ a b Stenson, Daniel. "Dazzling 'Levitation 21,' the lead-off track from Tigran's The Call Within, streams". MarlbankWebsite.
  8. ^ Stenson, Daniel. "Tigran Hamasyan, The Call Within". MarlbankWebsite.
  9. ^ "CD review: Tigran Hamasyan - The Call Within 2020: Video, CD cover". JazzBluesNews. August 27, 2020.
  10. ^ BWW News Desk. "Tigran Hamasyan Featuring Arthur Hnatek and Evan Marien Rescheduled at Boulder Theater". BroadwayWorld.