Ver Novum. Credit: Courtesy of Ver Novum
Local songwriter/composer Kris Magnuson’s art/alt rock project Ver Novum has just released its debut album A Tacit Accord. Magnuson, who grew up in Chagrin, has been associated with the Northeast Ohio music scene for some time now. He attended Cleveland State, where he studied classical composition and worked with Andrew Rindfleisch and Greg D’Alessio.

The other band members boast significant credentials too. Drummer Tony Kazel was at CSU at the same time as Magnuson as an undergrad, and he drums with local indie rockers Oregon Space Trail of Doom. R&B/soul singer Ameera Husein is from Detroit and bassist Quinn Jacobs is a classically trained musician from Toronto.

The carefully crafted album veers from songs such as the groggy, Incubus-like  “Smolder” to the jazzy “Conduit.”

Magnuson and Mike Brown handled the production and mixing at locally based Lava Room Recording. 

This article appears in Dec 15-28, 2021.

Jeff has been covering the Cleveland music scene for more than 25 years now. On a regular basis, he tries to talk to whatever big acts are coming through town. And if you're in a local band that he needs to hear, email him at jniesel@clevescene.com.