Sometimes the personnel alone tells the whole story of an album. There are few artists Stephen Vitiello and Hahn Rowe haven’t collaborated with – from Gil Scott-Heron to Yoko Ono, from Brian Eno to Swans. And Brendan Canty, of course, is the former drummer of post-hardcore legends Fugazi. On their second joint album Second, the three hint at fragments of their diverse musical backgrounds – only to collectively push far beyond them.
Right from the opener »Last Minute Guitar«, free improvisation, ambient textures and krauty ethno-vibes blend into a synthesis that feels like it should have been a genre of its own by now. When Vitiello, Canty and Rowe draw from no wave, electro funk, minimal music and dub, these references always remain loose markers rather than strict coordinates. Certain tracks carry traces of the mystical eccentricity that once defined Brooklyn’s WordSound posse in the ’90s. And when Rowe takes the lead on closer »Mrphgtrs1«, it results in one of the finest drones since The Velvet Underground.
