From the very beginning of Surrender Now, Onoffon displays their ambitious cross-genre skills. Opening with a rumbling Von Babasin bassline, the title cut might be called jazz fusion were it not for Don Lake's wailing harmonica that cuts through the smooth, effortless music. When the airy vocals enter the picture, imparting vaguely mystical sentiments, it makes for something akin to new age jazz-rock. Very eerie, actually, but something that is unique and intriguing. That new age/jazz-rock mix is not wholly characteristic of Surrender Now. Jazz is certainly a beginning point for the band, but there is also a healthy dose of progressive rock influence and perhaps the slightest hint of blues. "Your Reality," too, shows psychedelic influences, particularly in the lyrics and Lake's slithery, snaking guitar work. Despite being a three-piece, Onoffon creates a dense and full canvas of sound, and their playing is complex and exciting. Babasin is nothing less than a virtuoso on bass, while Lake's guitar is tensive and spacy, making many of the songs, even those with lyrics, sound mysterious. Dave Goode's drumming builds a tricky and complicated foundation for the music that can be either heavy or dexterous, but is never less than interesting. Lyrically, the songs can be occasionally indiscriminate and nebulous, and the band could benefit from a more dynamic vocalist (Lake handles most of the lead vocals on Surrender Now), but those are only slight criticisms of a band that is as consistently inventive as Onoffon. The production -- handled entirely by the band itself -- may have a bit too much sheen, but otherwise is beyond reproach. Everything from a Japanese koto and saxophone to vibes and marimba to bluejean and newspaper taps (on the doo wop-ish "Please Baby Please") are employed to fill out the songs, and to good effect. Surrender Now never stops short of surprising or delighting the listener who is willing to give the music the effort it deserves.
© Stanton Swihart /TiVo