Audio = Ground Zero

JBL Reflect Flow Pro  and Charge 5.1
 
Due to recent extensive international travel , the range of environments one finds oneself in and a penchant to get a daily run in, over the last couple of years I have grown to appreciate the advancements that have been made in the realm of earbuds, not merely in terms of ergonomic design but fit, playtime, adaptive noise cancelling  and voice clarity when it comes to taking calls and attending meetings. 

JBL as a company has proved to be a reliable provider of quality gear in the mid-price segment and with its iterations of product improvements, never ceases to improve the status quo, with the recently JBL Reflect Flow Pro not being an exception.

Geared at serving the needs of an active lifestyle with its lightweight built, the Reflect Flow Pro earbuds offer not only IP68 protection against sweat, rain or dust but a decent battery life and most importantly the ability to convey a lively, detailed sound, including the option to switch to ambient mode to not completely block out noises so you keep aware of your surroundings as you zip through traffic.

While compared to earlier incarnations of the Reflect Flow series, they are not exactly on the small side,  I specifically like the fit of Reflect Flow Pros as they come with stabilising ear tip fins and an app to test the most suitable sound settings, accommodating different shapes with the focus being firmly set on function over form, which also goes for the oval carry case where the focus is on sturdy- instead of fanciness.

The aforementioned app also serves the purpose of providing different pre-sets and customised EQ adjustments, with a focus not only on bass but also other subtle frequencies, as well as enabling an easy switch between different modes while on the go.

Things are rounded out with a tracking function, which works in tandem with your mobile device and hands-free enabled control through voice assistance.

Battery life is on the generous side of ten hours plus in addition to the case offering an additional twenty hours  of charging if needed.
 
Summa summarum, the JBL’s Bluetooth backed Reflect Flow Pros  with their customizable all-access touch control are one of the more robust, dynamic yet comfortable companions for life on the go with six microphones ensuring that your voice is not dropping out and an overall nuanced sound.

On the mobile speaker front, JBL has recently launched its fifth generation of the portable Charge 5.1 and upon the first test drive, the verdict is that the sound emitting qualities have been vastly improved compared to previous incarnations, while not sacrificing any of the sturdy and durable qualities the series has become known for.

With updated dustproofing features and the claim that it can be submerged in water up until a depth of 150 centimetres, which I have yet to test, the 5.1 still has the same silhouette yet comes with improved rubber lines for traction and easily accessible USB ports and a new Party Boost button to significantly beef up the sound when needed, which can also be activated via the proven JBL Connect app.

Sound-wise, things seem to be crisper than with its predecessor yet with a bit more of oomph as far as impact is concerned with clearer treble frequencies, and with its design it proves to be one of the top portable speakers in the mid-price segment.

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images from company website

Water of Life

Wild Turkey Kentucky Spirit Single Barrel

Due to their idiosyncrasy, I find single barrel expressions to be intriguing given that each expression is innately harbouring a degree of chance, especially in the realm of Bourbon where flavour profiles traditionally do not range as drastically across the flavour spectrum as whiskies do. 

Curated by Eddie and Jimmy Russell, Wild Turkey’s Kentucky Spirit Single Barrel program was first incepted in 1994 and has since established itself as a reliable series with consistently good and at times great expressions that in my humble opinion embody the DNA of everything that I love about Wild Turkey, including but not limited to the nearly perfect ABV of 50,5% .

Upon approach, the nostrils are tickled by a complex melange of well-calibrated spicy cinnamon and rye notes set against citrussy, honeyed sweet, butter toffee aromas that rest on a foundation of caramel, orange peel and only the faintest hints of tobacco, wonderful charred oak and leather.

What the nose promises, seamlessly translates on the top of the mouth, especially as far as the intense rye-spice is concerned, which is soon overtaken by a transition that meanders between leathery highlights, pecan, brown sugar and baked apple nuances before culminating in a honey infused oaky peak, which resonates beautifully by intertwining woody caramel with peppery oak.

The elongated finish of the amber coloured drop is still carried by the trademarked Wild Turkey vanilla spicy highlights, with underlying sweetness, bitterness, and astringency meeting oak woody, earthy savoury flavours, which dance against a backdrop of cloves and sassafras.

Summa summarum, the Wild Turkey’s Single Barrel expressions I have had the pleasure of experience so far make for a lip-smacking, accessible pour that with its expertly balanced savoury versus sweet ration lends itself perfectly as a nuanced dessert dram and with the aforementioned, embodies everything I am looking for in a single-barrel bourbon at 101 proof. 

It's prom night in Pomona. Teens scrolled through Downtown for their big night of dancing and debauchery as I made my way to The Glass House doors to relive a little bit of my own adolescence. Tonight, the Carousel Tour with Tim Kasher, Laura Jane Grace, and Anthony Green, is rolling through for a weekend of fun. Unfortunately, I missed the lo-fi stylings of the show-opener, Oceanator. I get in just as Tim Kasher is finishing up "Truly Freaking Out" from 2013's Adult Film. Kasher offers a bit of everything from his repertoire, sprinkling in a bit of Cursive tracks, his other side-project, The Good Life, and of course tracks from his solo career.

What made the show great was each of the three solo artists would all chime in from time to time to fill in on each other's songs, while joining as the backbone for the three all tour are Cursive's, Megan Siebe, and Lemuria's, Alex Kerns. Anthony Green stepped out to provide some synthy elements and vocals to the Cursive classic, "The Recluse." Laura Jane Grace came out to perform with Kasher on their track, "Forever of the Living Dead" from his new album, Middling Age.

The trio continued to rotate as each artist played their set. Laura Jane Grace ripped through a set of solo songs like "The Swimming Pool Song" and "So Long, Farewell..." and had Anthony Green come out to sing with her on her track, "Lola 13" from her latest EP, At War With the Silverfish. Of course, the crowd got amped up as Grace broke out Against Me! fan favorites, like "Pints of Guinness Make You Strong" and "Sink, Florida, Sink." She had a special guest, Juliet Terrill of Funk-R&B group The Suffers, join her on bass for "Two Coffins." Between the Against Me! songs, Laura Jane broke out some new songs as well. One about a "dysphoria" hoodie appropriately titled, "Dysphoria Hoodie" and a pent-up romper called "M*A*S*H" -- in the middle of which Green jumped in on drums for a verse before Kerns hopped back in to finish it out. Grace finished her set off blasting through "Black Me Out" with the added oomph of Tim Kasher.

I've seen Circa Survive a number of times over the years but have only seen Anthony Green do a solo set once before... right outside the doors of the same venue I was in now over a decade ago. His ability to make his performance feel intimate, whether it's outside to a dozen people or inside to hundreds, is unmatched. He spent the night expressing a lot of love and appreciation for the fans and being able to play music again after the rough past couple of years he'd spent canceling shows. He played through a number of newer tracks like "Keep Your Mouth Shut" from Would You Still Be In Love and "Don't Dance" from his upcoming new album, Boom. Done. He also pleased long-time fans with Avalon tracks, "Drug Dealer" and the bombastic, "Dear Child" which featured Kasher and Grace rotating through vocal duties with Green. At the encore, the trio along with Siebe and Kerns came back out to do a cover of The Lemonheads' "My Drug Buddy." Everyone on the tour seemed to be having a great time and it spread a lot of positivity. It's one of the better shows I've seen this year thus far, and I recommend checking out the Carousel Tour if it hasn't hit your town yet. There's just over a week left heading up the West Coast before ending in Denver.

The Formative Years - Celtic Frost

Having evolved from what is considered as one the trailblazer bands that created the foundation for what was to become black and other more extreme forms of metal, the influence Celtic Frost has exerted on underground music at large with their first two albums cannot be overstated.

Listening to Celtic Frost’s debut Morbid Tales in 2022 and how they skillfully merged thrash metal elements with pages off the books of bands like Discharge, Venom and GBH, accentuated by a distinct yet subtle new wavey vibe in the vein of Christian Death and Bauhaus only solidifies what a perfect first effort it was.

The punchy riffing, grim atmosphere, nods to d-beat drumming, guttural vocals and refreshingly immediate aggression emanating from the fluid chord progressions result in a cohesive sonic weapon that was to become a template generations of metal, punk and hardcore bands would draw upon, ranging from Darkthrone via Sheer Terror to Mayhem.

Same goes for To Mega Therion which saw Celtic Frost taking things to the next level in terms of consistency, expertly executed tempo variations and thought through conceptualisation of their vision, with the outcome being an expertly calibrated idiosyncratic dark atmosphere culminating at times in what is the sonic equivalent of a hellish mess, which visually could not be better presented than through the H.G. Giger artwork that adorns the cover.

“Are you morbid?”

Water of Life - Glendalough Distillery

Dedicated to reviving the heritage of craft distilling in Ireland and based in County Wicklow, Glendalough was founded eleven years ago by collective paying homage to their habitat not only via the name, i.e. referencing the local glacial valley, but also with the logo, which depicts local Saint Kevin, who in turn inspired the quintet to make “Stand apart” the motto of the brand.

While I have to admit that uisce beatha of the Irish variety is not necessarily my favourite as far as regions are concerned, it is nevertheles the territory that has proved to be one of the most consistent and reliable as far as quality is concerned. 

My first exposure to Glendalough was via its Double Barrel expression, which with its telling name indicates that it is based on an experiment in oak and thus has been aged twice in different barrel varieties, i.e. American oak and Spanish Oloroso barrels.

Upon approach, the translucent, deep golden coloured drop tickles the nostrils with its floral vanilla notes, which are accentuated by dark fruity, cherry and chocolatey highlights. 

What the nose promised transitions seamlessly via a velvety mouthfeel to the top of the mouth with honeyed vanilla courtest of the Bourbon barrels providing the foundation on which pear, dried fruits and burnt brown sugary nuances dance.

Things are rounded out with a full-bodied crescendo which culminates in a gingery-oak wood,-spicy reverberating finish, which is delicately counterpointed by a delicate musky earthiness.

Clocking in at an ABV of 42%, the Double Barrel proves to be a solid, hard to dislike, daily sipper.

Things are taken up a notch with Glendalough’s Pot Still expression, the defining feature of which is that is has been refined for up to twelve months in virgin Irish oak hogshead casks, with each bottle being traceable to not only the cask it emanated from but even the trees it was made from in a sustainable manner. 

Given that the base liquid is the most quintessentially Irish of whiskeys, i.e. pot still from a mash bill of malted and unmalted barley, this little number is an example par excellence for honouring both terroir and local ingredients while showcasing how secondary barrel finishing can enhance and elevate traditional whiskeys to new heights: Raw malty and charred oak aromas blend in with waves of cinnamon, red apples and spices, which on the palate give way to citrussy, florally green woody notes informed by a nice creamy mouthfeel.

Not unlike the Double Barrel, things get spicy with the finish with nutmeg, cinnamon and slights notes of astringency counterbalancing the red berry, vanilla and toasted oak flavours.

One can only hope that the Glendalough quintet ( https://www.glendaloughdistillery.com ) will try their hand and barrel experiments with a cask strength expression soon.

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image from company website