The band grabbed some underground attention with the album at the time. It was released in 1989 on Henry Cow's/Chris Cutler's Recommended Records as the band's third, part of the art-prog-post-rock-in-opposition movement. I missed it then, but hearing it today it gives you a timeless artfulness that most definitely sounds as fresh as ever.
The Denver-based outfit features for this disk Mike Johnson's wiry and very unusual compositions and the vocal tang and lyrics of Susanne Lewis for a standout set that sounds like nothing before or since, truly. Fred Frith makes a guest appearance on guitar but otherwise this is has electric and acoustic instrumentation and orchestration that does not classify so easily because it is so original.
It is song-form oriented with some very elaborate instrumental parts. I cannot say what it sounds like, because it sounds like nothing else. There are reed-guitar-key combinations that are uncanny, there are some ethnic-minimalist percussion and electronics, there is so much not easily described that I am afraid the hearing cannot be readily replaced by words--and that is pretty much one of the highest compliments one can give. When words fail, you KNOW something good is up. Or the very opposite. Here it is a matter of innovative excellence.
They are apparently working on a new album for Cuneiform. That will be something I'll look forward to. In the interim we have In This Life! Get it! Wow!
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