A Cauldron of Random Notes (Signed) CD

Tasmin Archers debut smash, Great Expectations, reinforced two evergreen, connected truths about songs and albums. Most good songs final forms arent as vital to enjoyment as they seem and an artists bestknown works are freezeframe screen captures highlighting their broader picture of influences and interests. Comparisons to Tracy Chapman and Seal werent wrong but they were incomplete. You could find the intimate singersongwriter storytelling of the former, the expansiveness of the latter, and the earnestness of both throughout the album but you could also find distinct pockets of other 70s and 80s influences that shouldn039t be obvious fits on the same album.The fundamental approach of an artist becomes clearer over time and until now we havent received too much of Tasmin Archers broader picture to solve that puzzle. Bloom expanded significantly on Great Expectations but was relatively close in time. ON established the perimeter of the puzzle, each song an eclectic entity unto itself. A Cauldron of Random Notes completes the puzzle somewhat and shows us that Tasmin Archer has always been who shed hinted she was.Opener Vibration of Life starts with dubby gospel vibes that wouldnt be out of place on a Jah Wobble album. It develops with surprising chord changes and a moody outro that tell us that Tasmin and her partner John Hughes have always valued a broad sonic palette. The human commonalities discussed in the lyrics were much more in fashion prepandemic but to state them now tells us what we suspected in the 90s but couldnt know this is, and has been, Tasmins outlook. That she was overjoined in that sentiment 30 years ago, and underjoined now, tints how we view her but shes always been her.As the album proceeds, with the tension of Silent Witness, the laidback groove of Hysteria, the tinges of twang and orchestration in Free Fall, the proggy ending of Boy, and the keysdriven comparative sparseness of Milan Girl serving as mile markers, all conclusions from the opener are reinforced. There are loads of arrangement fruits brought in from many musical trees, and you cant predict which ones will come next.This was true on Great Expectations, but it wasnt clear why it was true. Was it to hit different demographics, was it just to establish that she could, was it because she doesnt know what she wants to sound like, or something else It turns out shes a musical omnivore, so shes been doing what omnivores do.Shes always wanted to deliver a fullbodied experience, taking varied elements and focusing on album pacing. Putting shorter songs in the middle before building up to the final three songs makes this set of songs flow beautifully.A Cauldron of Random Notes is not only a rewarding album on its own terms, it increases the rewards of her entire catalogue by showing us the picture shes been assembling this whole time. In her 60s, Tasmin Archer has further illuminated what she was up to in her 20s.