The self-proclaimed ‘interstellar’ trio Mi Ami know a thing or two about pushing the limit on genre labels. More focused than their previous work that indulged their love of free-jazz, their layering of disco sounds with African beats and dub work together to create a complex arrangement of songs rich in texture and creativity. Recorded live over a period of two and a half days in San Francisco, their label Quarterstick Records describes Watersports as a ’study on fear and anxiety.’ The latter is definitely apparent throughout the course of the album, as the group builds a sense of urgency with each song, running the gamut from a state of frenzy to more mellowed-out, moody grooves. A certain haunting quality exists within most of the album’s tracks, both in the gasps and whispers that can be found in tracks like ‘Echonoecho’ and in its slow build into an eruption of emotion and sometimes rather unexpected shifts in rhythm and production. Tensions run high in ‘Pressure’ in which lead singer Daniel Martin-McCormick’s unintelligible shrieks somehow translate perfectly in articulating frustrations over everything from love and sex to fighting against The Man. Mi Ami comes down from the burst of crazy, descending into a more relaxed flow with their closing track ‘Peacetalks/Downer’ that wraps up the journey through our universal neuroses and hang-ups nicely, reminding the listener that through expression of our fear comes clarity. Watersports sets itself up nicely for some critical acclaim, and its multi-genre versatility will make it easy for people of all musical tastes to find something to enjoy.

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