The Necks: Mindset

Label: ReR MEGACORP

Here's one from the bottom of the deck, by which we mean Australia: The Necks are a more or less perpetually stunning trio of versatile inside/outside players, meaning they are as comfy with compositions (their own or others') as they are improvising the walls down. For more than 20 years they've been first-call guys for touring artists and collaborators ranging from Nat Adderly and Clifford Jordan right through to Han Bennink, Otomo Yoshihide and the Ex. As you might expect, the Necks tend to get classified as "jazz" by default, but they slip through the fingers of pretty much every genre that tries to contain them. Mindset, their latest, comprises two long, sparkling, accessible pieces that are nevertheless, in Necks fashion, damn hard to label. Listening to "Rum Jungle" is like being slowly lowered into molten steel and finding that you actually quite like it; as drummer Tony Buck whisks the piece along (cymbals, lightly, but with edge), pianist Chris Abrahams stomps around the lower registers and bassist Lloyd Swanton gives contour to the rumbling storm. And...the storm just goes, increasing in vibrant darkness and expressive mood, but never exploding and never making an issue of it. "Daylights" is both darker and lighter, with the introduction of electro-acoustic sounds darting through a spacious but suspense-laden cityscape. Once again there is motion and stillness, an increase in tension, and no detonation. Beautiful stuff!