Since 1997, Seattle's Joseph Dierker and New York's Tim Donovan have been building upon their unique sound that focuses on elements of jazz, hip hop, ambient, experimental, and electronica. Previous works have also incorporated vocal samples, but their seventh release, Sixes and Sevens, is mostly an instrumental affair -- the small amount of vocal samples on the album relate to their name. 310 combine guitar, violin, and keys, with the work of collaborators Ralph Rolle, who provided live drums to seven of the tracks, and DJ Ali Shaheed Muhammad, who added a touch of hip hop. The result is an album much stronger in composition and broader in sound than their other works.

“Fortuitous Bounce” mixes hip hop and trumpet to create a jazz feel; while the two genres blend together easily, the jazz section holds up better as the hip hop part suffers from sounding incredibly dated. “High and Tight” focuses on excellent drumming and incorporates electric guitar, bass, and electronic elements to serve as a non-invasive background for the track. Things slow down to a crawl with “U Bastard,” a lethargic track with heaps of funk and a great beat. “Black Acres” manages to give funk a sinister edge and “Dear Resistance” is a relaxing track incorporating field recordings of water intermingled with glistening guitar and ambient textures. And the western influenced “No Reason to Go There” is a good choice to conclude the album. 

Sixes and Sevens, from start to finish, is an enjoyable listen containing hidden elements that only surface after repeated plays – and this may be the its downfall. The album contains no standout tracks and fails to leave an impression on its listener, making the probability of repeated listens unlikely. After ten years in the business, their latest release certainly shows that the artists have reached a level of maturity in their work, the compositions are more complex, and the orchestration has evolved considerably, but if they expect their albums to be more than a pleasant listen, then they still have a long way to go until they reach that peak.

-Leanne Simpson