Hi there, let’s step into the world of Testaments, a London-based quintet quietly revolutionizing modern jazz. Helmed by bassist and visionary songwriter Mark McQuillan, the band’s music is a living and breathing entity. With Rebecka Edlund’s hauntingly raw vocals, Cameron Scott’s euphonium soaring with improvisational mastery, Dom Howard’s textured guitar landscapes, and Sam Nicholls’ dynamic drumming, Testaments crafts intimate and cinematic soundscapes. They are the kind of artists who don’t just play but invite you into it, shape it around you, and leave you transformed.
Their latest EP, “Never Run Dry,” is a 4-track masterclass in emotional and sonic exploration. From the first note, you feel the band’s dedication to thematic clarity and stylistic innovation in the way they guide listeners across landscapes of ethereal beauty and intense drama.
Opening the EP, “Ae Fond Kiss (Never Run Dry)” sets a tone of longing and poetic vulnerability. Edlund’s voice floats over McQuillan’s intricate bass lines with a delicate, almost conversational intimacy. The arrangement is deceptively sparse at first, allowing you to sink into the song. It’s a song that lingers in the memory, its romantic melancholy made vivid by every subtle timbral choice in the instrumentation.
In “Mountain Stream (Take 1),” the band explores the elemental force of nature through sound. The gentle, flowing patterns of guitar and euphonium evoke rippling water, while Nicholls’ percussive textures mimic the unpredictable currents of a stream. Edlund’s vocals are reflective, almost meditative, guiding you through a serene and invigorating auditory landscape. The track demonstrates Testaments’ mastery of mood, showing how restraint and space can be just as powerful as intensity.
True to its name, “Contemplation” invites introspection. The instrumentation takes a more minimalistic approach, giving Edlund’s voice the foreground to explore nuanced phrasing and emotional depth. McQuillan’s bass subtly anchors the track, while Scott’s euphonium adds an otherworldly resonance that feels like a dialogue between thought and feeling. There’s a tender tension here, a sense of searching that makes the song deeply human.
Closing the EP, the full version of “Mountain Stream (Take 2)” expands upon the motifs of Take 1 with dramatic improvisation and heightened dynamic contrast. It’s playful, adventurous, and ultimately cathartic. Each instrument contributes to the cascading energy, with Howard’s guitar providing textural peaks, Nicholls’ drums a pulse that propels the music forward, and Scott’s euphonium weaving improvisational brilliance throughout. The track feels like a journey complete—an exhilarating conclusion that leaves you exhilarated and reflective.
The production of “Never Run Dry” is crisp yet intimate, capturing the warmth and immediacy of Testaments’ live sound while allowing each instrument space to breathe. There’s a remarkable balance between precision and spontaneity; the EP sounds carefully crafted yet alive with improvisational spirit. The interplay between McQuillan’s inventive bass lines, Scott’s euphonium artistry, Howard’s expressive guitar, and Nicholls’ versatile drumming forms a cohesive and endlessly varied rich sonic tapestry.
Listening to “Never Run Dry” is a profoundly emotional experience. Testaments are not just musicians; they are storytellers and emotional cartographers, guiding us through landscapes of love, longing, and reflection. The EP is romantic, daring, and utterly human. From the first sigh of Edlund’s voice to the last shimmering note, you are invited into a world where jazz is not just heard but felt.
Testaments deserve more than applause; they deserve a welcome that echoes, like their music, long after the last note fades. With “Never Run Dry,” they have not only shaped the future of jazz, they have given it a voice, a heart, and a pulse.
Listen to the “Never Run Dry” on Spotify
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