Paar Linien
Discobole, 2021
8/10
The brainchild of Nicolas Stephan, as Paar Linien (‘a few lines’ translated from German) he births an unconventional aesthetic where Baslle Naudet (alto sax, electric guitar), Louis Freres (electric bass) and Augustin Bette (drums) accompany Stephan’s tenor sax, stritch and sparing vocals.
“Lines #1” starts the listen with bright saxophone that moves unpredictably as a thick undercurrent of buzzing sets the mood, and this creative approach continues to the highly adventurous “Lines #2”, which places more emphasis on brass amid an even more exploratory vision that touches on free jazz and avant-garde rock.
Advancing towards the middle, “Lines 3” pairs squealing, busy textures with calmer moments of restrained beauty and warm ambience, while “Grand Maguerite” benefits from fluid drumming alongside soulful sax and spirited guitar lines. “Acts Of Violence”, an album stand out, then moves both cautiously and swiftly as alt-rock and some form of jazz collide in a fascinating execution.
The final two tracks, not surprisingly, furthers the atypical landscape, and includes the brief, calm “Lines #5”, and “Les éborgnés” exits the listen steeped in vintage jazz nods but not without subtle rock sensibilities.
A very charming and unique adventure that brings to mind both June of 44 and Ornette Coleman, Paar Linien recruits both improvisation and precise calculation on this outstanding effort.
Travels well with: Trojan Panda- Peau; Gilles Poizat- Champignon Flamme