King Gizzard Drummer CAVS Emerges As Singular Jazz Force On Stunning Sophomore Effort ‘Sojourn’ (ALBUM REVIEW)

Five years ago, Michael Cavanagh, long-time percussion expert for psych-rock powerhouse King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, made his solo debut under the CAVS moniker with a self-titled effort. The ten-song drums-only effort was an exercise in the drummer’s ability to capture a listener’s attention with exclusively drum patterns, resulting in a groovy, atmospheric effort that ultimately didn’t catapult CAVS into the solo spotlight like similar artists of his ilk. The difficult transition from band member to lone musician is a bumpy, often misdirected endeavor that rarely seems to go well for the artist who dares undertake it. Still, in traditional Lizard Wizard fashion, Cavanagh wasn’t discouraged with the difficulties of his debut, but inspired. 

If his debut as CAVS was a social experiment that toyed with the limits of our attention span and the artist’s percussion prowess, Sojourn is the moment CAVS truly becomes his own artist. Equally daring in concept yet far more robust, enthralling, and digestible, the sophomore effort from Cavanagh is the proper introduction to the artist’s unique brand of jazz we’ve been waiting for. Long gone are the days of drum-only arrangements, as the artist is joined by Mildlife’s Jim Rindfleish, fellow Gizzard Joey Walker, and a band of like-minded jazz adventurers. Sojourn bursts with hypnotic wind instruments, funky basslines that teeter on the absurd, and whimsical melodies that all exist in a peaceful world overseen by Cavanagh’s commanding drums. CAVS drums have been whirling through contemporary music for years now. Still, Sojourn feels like we are meeting them for the first time, almost like discovering a new secret from an age-old friend, if that secret were a collection of spiritual jazz compositions depicting a fantasy world. 

Sojourn follows a character who stumbles upon an undiscovered island located some distance up a river that flows with peculiarly tinted water. These songs follow this character through the excitement and fear of the unfamiliar, depicting these strange creatures and alien plants through twisted melodies and palpable psychedelia. CAVS packs all of this imagery and wonder into every corner of these ten instrumental numbers, officially planting his flag in the fertile soil of a jazz revival scene on the upswing. 

Cavanagh set out to establish an identity with Sojourn, yet nothing about these songs feels forced. The drummer beautifully executed each emotional moment of this bold concept LP. From the dramatic, dark encounter of “Death Bat,” with its harrowing undertones being delivered via bouncy tempos and exhilarating electronics, to the way he describes this fantasy land he’s concocted on “Silk Road,” detailing the sleek pastel and neon visions that line its streets, these songs paint fantastical images in the listener’s mind without feeling invasive. The artist makes the narrative of his sophomore debut manageable while interspersing moments of meditative solace, such as the otherworldly grooves of “Paititi” and the raw, organic rhythms of “Emerald Nile.” 

This is not an extension of CAVS’s debut, but a complete reimagining of his approach to his solo material. Sojourn is captivating from the jump and even more so with every listen, a reimagining of a well-known musician who sounds more confident in his position as a bandleader. These ten songs position Cavanagh as an introspective player in contemporary jazz and begin to cement the drummer as a singular force of imaginative proportions.