Nature Calls. The Stream

With the album finally available on LP, it's time to publish my long-overdue review of The Stream's new album Nature Calls. 

With bigger and smaller bangs The Stream celebrated the release of its latest album, Nature Calls, late in March. The music was accompanied by all sorts of chemical and mechanical tests executed live onstage, while showing all kinds of natural phenomena and formulas on screen. All to underscore the theme of the new album, nature. I would not have minded to have had a few extra eyes and ears, so I could really grasp and process it all at the same time. You can find the review elsewhere on this blog (http://wonomagazine.blogspot.com/2024/03/nature-calls-steam-live-theater-ins.html.).

Today I'm only listening to the album, not distracted by all the theatre spectacle. What my ears are telling me today, is what my brain had already registered: The songs on Nature Calls are of the quality that comes with expectations when receiving new music by The Stream. And then some, I opt for.

Nature Calls is the next level. In music and thematically. The scientific theory The Stream sings about is way beyond my comprehension. Jan Stroomer has a science degree and worked in the science department of a university, before he decided to move to music. Something the world should be far more cognisant of. Had someone like Billy Joel released an album like Nature Calls, the world have stood applauding, with DJs playing the songs on the radio, of course. Not so for The Stream unfortunately.

What strikes me most on Nature Calls is the variety in songs, that all have a special component. Stroomer has found several voices to share his insights to the world. Vocally, for starters. You will hear him using his voice in several registers and several suit his voice extremely well. He'll forgive me when I write that he's not the best singer in the world, but on Nature Calls he truly convinces as a singer. The ladies in the background augment the vocal experience and compliment Stroomer with beautiful harmonies. Live even more so than on record.

Musically things start with the rather unusual line up of The Stream, keyboards, drums and bass, and three vocalists. As a result it is the piano of Stroomer that receives the most attention musically. It is the heart of The Stream, with a synth and rhythm section as the skeleton. Pay attention though, as both the drums and bass take their moments in the music and not just accompany it but rise up to occasions.The result is sheer beauty.

The music on Nature Calls changes from funny to very serious. The title song belongs in the former. A bit naughty in sound. The latter are all over the album. Especially in the near instrumental intro and outro that border on classical music. My only complaint is that 'Drunkard's Walk' worked really well on stage but does not on the album. It's the kind of song with spoken word where one or two listens suffices. For the rest the arrangements of the songs work out really well, making the album a joy to listen to.

With "Sweet Sally, Sad Departure" The Stream had already made a major step in its development. With Nature Calls it takes itself even one step further. This is the kind of album that someone like Billy Joel might have dreamt of for the past thirty years to be able to write it. The Stream has released an album that launches it into the runner up category of serious music that begs listening and enjoying, while still having the capacity to grown further. It's time to start playing The Stream on the radio and have it in online stream lists. This music deserves to be heard far and wide.

Wout de Natris

You can listen to and order Nature Calls here:

https://thestream.bandcamp.com/album/nature-calls