12 O’Clock Club – Runaway (Single Review)

For some reason, the moniker 12 O’ Clock Club evokes in my mind images from the Beatnik era and Jack Kerouac’s novel, On The Road. When I hear the band’s name, I immediately envision a smoky nightclub, filled with small tables, with every table surrounded by bodies. On stage, a jazz band would be playing live, and the type of music they would be playing would be something like “Runaway”, which I will be talking about from this group.

At the helm of the 12 O’Clock Club is London-based Antonio Val, who has made a name for himself as a session bassist, performing with artists like The Streets and Lily Allen, and even making appearances on stages ranging from intimate clubs to major festivals. Starting off as a remote project, the band is moving from the screen into a more immersive direction with the help of session players and musicians like multi-instrumentalist Lewis Taylor and bassist Max Luthert.

“Runaway” as a jazz composition doesn’t have any vocals. Driven purely by instrumentals, the single relies on good timing, rhythm, and a bit of improv to get their message across. And the results are golden.

These aren’t musicians who stiffly play every note. No, with just a bit of free-styling and improvisation, these seasoned musicians let their instruments sing, and we are definitely so much better for it. The rhythm flows freely, and the whole track sounds like a great conversation piece, ebbing and flowing between the instrumentals. We get some bongos in the beginning, some bass, some guitar, some drums and percussion, some keys and then some horns. All this blended together for a really cool jazzy vibe that felt very memorable to my ears.

The energy from the instrumentals feels raw and exciting. The immersion is nearly immediate. Listeners will be wowed by how the band layers the textures and sounds for the final product, a contemporary jazz release that is brimming with raw potential. However, music shouldn’t come with labels, and 12 O’Clock Club follows this to a tee. Their sound flints from contemporary jazz to experimental, and so much more. This fusion of sounds is honed to perfection, and what you get is truly unforgettable.

Kerouac and the Beatnik movement were mentioned at the beginning of this review, and the intimate vibes on this recording make it sound like the band is playing directly in your living room space. The moment you hit play, the band sounds like they are a mere 6 feet away from you. It is this up close-and-personal vibe that feels so refreshing and so startling all at once. This release is a good melding of both classical and contemporary jazz. With a foot in both worlds, 12 O’Clock Club has embarked on something truly exciting here.

SCORE/Excellent: The band’s transition from screen to full-on immersion is a huge success. Their sound is lively and filled with raw intensity, and I can imagine that this will translate very well on a live stage. I look forward to one day seeing this band perform live. In the meantime, I don’t mind putting the band’s catalog on repeat for now.

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