Consisting of mainly piano and drums, the music created by Minnesotan duo Josiah Wordsworth hovers between rock, jazz ,and classical. Their debut EP, Blue State, features 5 tracks that are refreshingly unique.

“Witch Hunt” begins dramatically with a brooding piano piece that builds intensely, like a magnificent storm approaching. Dark and compelling, it is an exquisite way to open an album. The dark mood is suddenly disrupted by a series of fast-paced jazz inspired piano pieces, at first the bursts of upbeat piano throughout the track seem out of place, but ultimately it is these shifts in mood and structure that make the track all the more disturbing and appealing. “Witch Hunt” sounds like a battle between two split personalities, one good, and one menacingly evil.

Imagine yourself as a child visiting a circus. There’s a ringmaster, clowns, and an assortment of animals. It looks like any other circus from the outside, but inside…The ringmaster is a horrifically deformed monster of a man, the clowns are sinister looking, their mouths are filled with yellow shark-like teeth and blood is used to paint on their menacing smiles, and the animals are terrifying mutant-like beasts. “Drive-by Media” sounds like circus music in parts, but is not the kind of music we associate with the circus, as its brightness is clearly tarnished by a darker tone. The result is an incredibly weird, yet wonderful track that would fit well into a soundtrack of a Tim Burton movie.

“Silver Dollar Swagger” begins with a funeral march instrumentation with drums that sound like a cannon and gun salute. Like “Witch Hunt” the moody atmosphere is torn apart by jazzy piano, but this time the effect isn’t disturbing - it’s damn catchy!

Complex, chaotic, dark, and wickedly good, Blue State is an outstanding effort that contains no weak tracks. From the moment it begins it is obvious that it is remarkably different, yet it should still appeal to a broad range of piano lovers; just don’t expect any light piano tinkering.

-Leanne Simpson