Jo Quail – Notan: Album Review

By Howard King on 11th September 2025 • ( Leave a comment )

Jo Quail brings new compositions of unique, classical and progressive music. How does Notan stack up?

Release Date: 12th September 2025

Format: CD / Vinyl / Digital

MAJESTIC

Don’t be expecting a light touch on Butterly Dance; the composition that opens Notan. This butterfly dance is definitely more heavy footed. It rumbles into life with tremors of grinding, Floyd-esque guitar sounding riffs. The rise and fall of the churning sound could also evoke thoughts of Sabbath’s Iron Man. Butterfly Dance flies off with some percussive stomps. It is a majestic opening of great grandeur. If you have seen Denis Villeneuve’s Dune films, you wouldn’t be wrong to say that this could sit comfortably amongst Hans Zimmer’s scores.

In Rex, a dystopic landscape is conjured with a more melancholic introduction. However the pounding dark notes take over, creating an engrossing soundscape. The genesis of Rex is one that has evolved over the last fifteen years or so. It was Rex Infractus that opened Jo’s debut album, From The Sea. In listening to both pieces, you can hear the evolution.

SWIRL AND FLOAT

As A Leaf, And Then A Key rolls around, Jo reveals the raw nature of her exceptional cello skills. Deep notes swirl, float and dart about. A Leaf, And Then A Key again captures your imagination allowing you to imagine whatever you wish. There is a sadness in some of the parts as Jo explores her instrument.

Embrace keeps the more naked feel of the instrument with some added wizardry creeping in. As with all Jo’s music, an open mind is essential. It will mean, as it should, different things to different people as it is such a revolutionary and encapsulating listening experience.

MEDITATIVE AND HYPNOTIC

First Rain, explores a more gentle side. The piece is a short piano composition that is nonetheless beautifully meditative and hypnotic in texture. You can hear piano pedals being pushed and the pull of piano strings tightening in the mix. Perhaps some of the inspiration came from touring with Emma Ruth Rundle on her Engine Of Hell jaunt. The emotion that comes out in the sound is wonderful.

Concluding track, Kingfisher, retains the theme of nature. It has the essence of Celtic and eastern music and continues to beguile with therapeutic qualities. Despite many fluctuations it is never over- complicated but is packed with harmonics hooks which are truly mesmerising.

Notan takes its name from the Japanese philosophy of comparing light and dark balancing each other. Sonically, there is a plethora of contrasting moods and emotions for you to explore. Notan is a fabulous addition to Jo Quail’s already impressive canon.