Fearless Movement (album)

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Fearless Movement
Studio album by
Kamasi Washington
ReleasedMay 3, 2024 (2024-05-03)
Recorded
Length86:16
LabelYoung
Producer
Kamasi Washington chronology
Final Floor
(2021) 		Fearless Movement
(2024)
Singles from Fearless Movement
  1. "Prologue"
    Released: March 6, 2024

Fearless Movement is the fifth studio album by American jazz saxophonist Kamasi Washington. It was released on May 3, 2024, through Young.

Background[edit]

Washington refers to Fearless Movement as his "dance album", though not in the literal sense. He views "dance" as "movement and expression" and "expressing your spirit through your body", equivalent to music itself.[1] The album focuses "on the earthly", which marks a "creative pivot" in his career.[2] The saxophonist drew inspiration from his newfound fatherhood, while his daughter even contributed to one song.[3] Washington shared the closing track "Prologue" alongside the album announcement on March 6, 2024.[4] Fearless Movement features contributions from André 3000, Thundercat, George Clinton, BJ the Chicago Kid, D Smoke, and Terrace Martin.[5]

Critical reception[edit]

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
AnyDecentMusic?8.1/10[6]
Metacritic81/100[7]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[8]
Mojo[9]
NME[10]
Pitchfork6.9/10[11]
PopMatters8/10[12]
SpinA[13]
The Line of Best Fit8/10[14]
The Observer[15]
The Skinny[16]
Under the Radar[17]

Fearless Movement was met with universal acclaim from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 81, based on fifteen reviews.[7] The aggregator AnyDecentMusic? has the critical consensus of the album at a 8.1 out of 10, based on seventeen reviews.[6]

Evan Haga of Spin found the album "bolsters Washington's prowess as a jazz bandleader engaged in cultural and musical curation. Rather than transforming the actual language of composition or harmony or improvisation, he stacks his influences and relationships to form an ensemble sound that is monumental, and thoroughly his own. In or out of jazz, that means so much".[13] Liam Casci of The Skinny praised the album, saying "on this latest opus, Washington and company are a tightened-drum of an ensemble that effortlessly flit between an intense focus and a playful freedom, and the results are stunning".[16]

Kyle Kersey of Under the Radar stated: "with Fearless Movement, his third great record in a row, Washington once again demonstrates his commitment to innovation, cementing his place in the great jazz canon. He's reigned in the runtime, but the ambitions remain".[17] AllMusic's Thom Jurek wrote that Washington "doesn't merely juxtapose instruments and sounds, he painstakingly combines them, bringing joy, intensity, political, social, and spiritual poignancy in a vision at once focused, restless, and playful".[8] Grayson Haver Currin of Mojo resumed: "on these dozen tracks, Washington creates a playground and invites friends in to be themselves, shaping a dizzying crosshatch of ideas where George Clinton's lounge croon sets up a trumpet-chased pep talk from rapper D Smoke, or André 3000 slips – with flutes in hand – into a nocturnal haze that feels like some futuristic Debussy state of bliss".[9] Joe Goggins of NME stated: "Fearless Movement feels like more of a personal piece than Heaven and Earth, leaning more towards humanism than the spiritualism that has so enraptured Washington in the past. The key to his appeal, though, remains unchanged; he makes music that's apparently limitless in scope and yet joyously immediate, even to the casual jazz listener".[10] Peter Thomas Webb of PopMatters concluded: "with a running time of 86 minutes, Fearless Movement demands commitment from the listener through its stylistic twists and turns. The first half, emphasizing vocals and choral hooks, is likely more accessible to general listeners than the second half. But fans of contemporary jazz will find plenty to enjoy throughout".[12] Janne Oinonen of The Line of Best Fit found the artist "stretches out to fresh territory" on the album.[14] Kitty Empire of The Observer wrote: "bereavements and recent fatherhood have led Washington to ponder mortality. But there is little dread in these 12 rich and versatile tracks, which touch sensually on Zapp's "Computer Love" and examine the "Road to Self" via a 13-minute workout".[15]

Andy Cush of Pitchfork wrote: "Fearless Movement's first half is filled with guest vocalists delivering songs that attempt awkwardly to be soundtracks for both revelry and deep contemplation. The album gets better when it dispenses with its noncommittal relationship to party music, freeing Washington to pursue the heroic high drama that's still his strong suit".[11]

Track listing[edit]

Fearless Movement track listing
No.TitleLyricsMusicProducer(s)Length
1."Lesanu"Kamasi WashingtonK. WashingtonK. Washington9:22
2."Asha the First" (featuring Thundercat, Taj Austin, and Ras Austin)
  • K. Washington
  • Ras Austin
  • Taj Austin
  • K. Washington
  • Akili Asha Washington
K. Washington7:46
3."Computer Love" (featuring Patrice Quinn, DJ Battlecat, and Brandon Coleman)
  • Murdock
  • L. Troutman
  • R. Troutman
K. Washington9:26
4."The Visionary" (featuring Terrace Martin) 
  • K. Washington
  • Coleman
  • Graves
  • Martin
1:10
5."Get Lit" (featuring George Clinton and D Smoke)
  • George Clinton
  • D Smoke
  • K. Washington
  • Bruner
  • Clinton
  • D Smoke
3:26
6."Dream State" (featuring André 3000) 
  • K. Washington
  • André 3000
  • Austin
  • Coleman
8:39
7."Together" (featuring BJ the Chicago Kid)
  • K. Washington
  • BJ the Chicago Kid
Ryan Porter
  • K. Washington
  • BJ the Chicago Kid
  • Porter
5:34
8."The Garden Path" K. WashingtonK. Washington6:40
9."Road to Self (KO)" K. WashingtonK. Washington13:25
10."Interstellar Peace (The Last Stance)" Coleman
  • K. Washington
  • Coleman
5:04
11."Lines in the Sand" K. WashingtonK. Washington7:25
12."Prologue" Astor Piazzolla
8:19
Total length:86:16

Personnel[edit]

Musicians

Technical

  • Alex DeTurk – mastering
  • Russell Elevado – mixing
  • Tony Austin – lead engineering (all tracks), arrangement (track 6)
  • Tony Shepherd – additional engineering
  • Clint Welander – engineering assistance
  • Zack Zajdel – engineering assistance
  • Nate Haessly – engineering assistance
  • Chris Pegram – engineering assistance
  • Brad Ritchie – engineering assistance
  • Ryan Molder – engineering assistance
  • Jacob Johnston – engineering assistance
  • Anderson Kendig – engineering assistance
  • Kamasi Washington – arrangement
  • Brandon Coleman – arrangement (tracks 4, 6, 10)
  • Cameron Graves – arrangement (track 4)
  • Terrace Martin – arrangement (track 4)
  • D Smoke – arrangement (track 5)
  • George Clinton – arrangement (track 5)
  • Ronald Bruner Jr. – arrangement (track 5)
  • André 3000 – arrangement (track 6)
  • BJ the Chicago Kid – arrangement (track 7)
  • Ryan Porter – arrangement (track 7)
  • Miles Mosley – arrangement (track 12)
  • Abbey Lewis – mixing assistance

Visuals

  • B+ – album photography
  • Sol Washington – photo editing
  • Amani Washington – album painting
  • Kerynn Washington – album fashion design
  • Ramiro Perez – album fashion design
  • Jake Simmonds – graphic design

Charts[edit]

Chart performance for Fearless Movement
Chart (2024) Peak
position
Australian Jazz & Blues Albums (ARIA)[18] 2
Australian Vinyl Albums (ARIA)[19] 12
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[20] 50
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[21] 66
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[22] 18
Japanese Albums (Oricon)[23] 28
Japanese Hot Albums (Billboard Japan)[24] 40
Scottish Albums (OCC)[25] 12
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[26] 29
UK Albums (OCC)[27] 95
UK Independent Albums (OCC)[28] 6
UK Jazz & Blues Albums (OCC)[29] 1

References[edit]

  1. ^ Strauss, Matthew (March 6, 2024). "Kamasi Washington Announces Album and Tour, Shares Video for New Song "Prologue": Watch". Pitchfork. Retrieved March 6, 2024.
  2. ^ Hussain, Shazaib (March 6, 2024). "Kamasi Washington Announces New Album Fearless Movement". Clash. Retrieved March 6, 2024.
  3. ^ Sacher, Andrew (March 6, 2024). "Kamasi Washington announces tour & new album ft. André 3000, George Clinton, Thundercat & more". BrooklynVegan. Retrieved March 6, 2024.
  4. ^ Eede, Christian (March 6, 2024). "Kamasi Washington Unveils New Album, Fearless Movement". The Quietus. Retrieved March 6, 2024.
  5. ^ Ragusa, Paolo (March 6, 2024). "Kamasi Washington Announces New Album Fearless Movement, Shares 2024 Tour Dates". Consequence. Retrieved March 6, 2024.
  6. ^ a b "Fearless Movement by Kamasi Washington reviews | Any Decent Music". AnyDecentMusic?. Retrieved May 12, 2024.
  7. ^ a b "Critic Reviews for Fearless Movement - Metacritic". Metacritic. Retrieved May 12, 2024.
  8. ^ a b Jurek, Thom. "Fearless Movement - Kamasi Washington | Album | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved May 12, 2024.
  9. ^ a b Currin, Grayson Haver (June 2024). "Kamasi Washington Fearless Movement Review: A dizzyingly eclectic fusion of ideas". Mojo. p. 85. Retrieved May 12, 2024.
  10. ^ a b Goggins, Joe (May 2, 2024). "Kamasi Washington - 'Fearless Movement' review: still a titan of the jazz scene". NME. Retrieved May 12, 2024.
  11. ^ a b Cush, Andy (May 7, 2024). "Kamasi Washington: Fearless Movement Album Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved May 12, 2024.
  12. ^ a b Webb, Peter Thomas (May 6, 2024). "Kamasi Washington Sets Bodies in Motion on Fearless Movement". PopMatters. Retrieved May 12, 2024.
  13. ^ a b Haga, Evan (April 30, 2024). "Kamasi Washington's Epic Expectations". Spin. Retrieved May 12, 2024.
  14. ^ a b Oinonen, Janne (May 2, 2024). "Kamasi Washington: Fearless Movement Review - masterful expansion | Jazz". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved May 12, 2024.
  15. ^ a b Empire, Kitty (May 3, 2024). "Kamasi Washington: Fearless Movement review – the sax star dials up the tempos". The Observer. ISSN 0029-7712. Retrieved May 12, 2024.
  16. ^ a b Casci, Liam (April 30, 2024). "Kamasi Washington album review: Fearless Movement - The Skinny". The Skinny. Retrieved May 12, 2024.
  17. ^ a b Kersey, Kyle (May 7, 2024). "Fearless Movement". Under The Radar. Retrieved May 12, 2024.
  18. ^ "ARIA Top 20 Jazz & Blues Albums Chart". Australian Recording Industry Association. May 13, 2024. Retrieved May 10, 2024.
  19. ^ "ARIA Top 20 Vinyl Albums Chart". Australian Recording Industry Association. May 13, 2024. Retrieved May 10, 2024.
  20. ^ "Ultratop.be – Kamasi Washington – Fearless Movement" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved May 12, 2024.
  21. ^ "Ultratop.be – Kamasi Washington – Fearless Movement" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved May 12, 2024.
  22. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Kamasi Washington – Fearless Movement" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved May 10, 2024.
  23. ^ "Oricon Top 50 Albums: 2024-05-13/p/3" (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved May 8, 2024.
  24. ^ "Billboard Japan Hot Albums – Week of May 8, 2024". Billboard Japan (in Japanese). Retrieved May 8, 2024.
  25. ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 11, 2024.
  26. ^ "Swisscharts.com – Kamasi Washington – Fearless Movement". Hung Medien. Retrieved May 12, 2024.
  27. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 10, 2024.
  28. ^ "Official Independent Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 11, 2024.
  29. ^ "Official Jazz & Blues Albums Chart Top 30". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 11, 2024.
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