Rating: NNN
About Group employ an unusual methodology in the studio. Their first album was recorded in one day, with no prior practice. Album number two was also recorded in one day, with no prep except for a few passed-around demos.
The foursome’s latest record takes a similar approach – striking a balance between free playing (half the album is from a 45-minute improvised performance) and traditional songwriting led by Alexis Taylor of Hot Chip. The result is a weird mix of spastic textures ranging from ambient synth lines and spacey jazz to noisy breakdowns that sound like a Velvet Underground outtake.
This experimentation isn’t surprising when you consider Taylor’s bandmates include players from Spiritualized and British rock band This Heat. While it’s the non sequiturs that make the album exciting – a buzzing guitar disrupts a funky bass line or a country ballad comes out of nowhere – it can be jarring. Thankfully, Taylor’s strong, delicate vocals hold the textures together so they don’t turn into a sonic mess.
Top track: Love Because
