Instability
Soul City, 2022
9/10
The debut album from Tragic Assembly, the 7 tunes present shy away from rhythm, groove or any semblance of song structure for a very unique and compelling peek at odd meters, loud vs soft dynamics and bouts of furious free jazz stabs.
“Best Static” starts the listen with exploratory bass from Phil Venable, seemingly random drumming thanks to Charles Chace and wandering clarinet by way of Crowmeat Bob Pence, and this unclassifiable approach continues to the more cautious, even cozy “A Person Followed”, as well as the improvised genius of “Reasonable Trash”.
On the back half, the quick “Dedicated To Shoegaze” drones a bit with mystery and warmth, while the bright brass of “Stilted Transmission” leads into the acrobatic drumming, swift bass work and controlled chaos formula. “That Vacation Friend” exits the listen, and is equally as unpredictable as the rest of the album, where the trio each display a frenzied demeanor that tips its hat to punk and indie-rock.
Not so surprisingly, Venable, Chace and Pence have roots in firm, edgy rock’n’roll territory, and they bring that influence into some very atypical forms of jazz that you can listen to repeatedly listen and remain perplexed in the best way possible.
Travels well with: Phil Venable- Bassworks, Vol. 1; Jaki Shelton Green- The River Speaks Of Thirst