On his social media, UK session guitarist / bassist Dane Baker posts a lot of fun, light hearted videos exploring bass parts or guitar solos he likes.  Ostensibly it’s an advertisement for his services as a session player - "let’s chat about your music” is a tagline in his TikTok bio.

But nothing is as effective an advertisement for his services as the singles he’s been dropping recently.  The latest, "Ascension” is a shiny, tidy sub-3-minute gem that continues this trend.

Baker’s own music is invariably funky, groovy, progressive, and atmospheric.  The arrangements and the recording quality are always excellent, and on the occasions when Baker includes vocals on a track, his voice is unique and effective.  

The result is a glorious stylistic hodgepodge. Ascension begins with a staggering groove and a characteristically gorgeous guitar intro, and then takes off into a powerful progressive rock section. Back and forth we go, until Baker drops the hammer in the form of a guitar solo that sounds like something off a song Dream Theater wishes they’d released in the last 25 years.

To quote this song, with Baker, “the journey is the destination”.