Splay

Somewhere between post-rock and avant-jazz, featuring thick hazy sheens of electric-guitar effects behind pokey sax/clarinet melodies. Black goes for something slow, loud, rocking but a bit melancholy, unhurried but forceful ... and all punctuated with his BIG drum sound (he's amazingly loud and powerful for a rather small, skinny guy).

More generally, Black is a free-jazz drummer who's backed the likes of Tim Berne in the past (he's also on Laurie Anderson's 2002 live CD). His drumming is excellent, but the focus here is more on his composing. Most songs do have beats and well-defined melody but lots of effects on guitar and bass.

This is a very interesting band he's got going. Hope he keeps it up.

1* - Driving midtempo beat/blur
2 - Slow creeping menace, then chaos
3*** - Hard mid/slow rocker in 5/4, followed by a prettier, quiet phase
4 - Slow, sad, loud
5 - Bubbly sounds
6 - Long drifting flow, easy melodic intro
7* - Menacing noise, slow but chaotic
8 - Slow melody
9* - Slow/mid, catchy. Gets loud
10 - Midtempo. Nice opening melody.