Thin Air

Avant-folk? Duets of electric guitar and viola, with both women singing on 1,2,5,6. Simple melodies, almost like kids' songs sometimes, with simple rhythms (but some cool soloing that you could call chamber jazz, and some not-so-gentle electric guitar). A very DIY feel: The vocals aren't perfect and carry a downcast, even sluggish air, while the viola seems to sometimes wander out of tune (could be intentional dissonance). The electric guitar isn't strummed like folk music; it's mostly plucked.

It's a spare and rough-edged sound, peaceful but not quiet. Halvorson and Pavone both hang out in serious avant-jazz settings. This is their third album as a duo.

FCC clean.

1- Drifting and dissonant. Simple riffing later: catchy but "off" somehow
2- A pretty folk pattern that shifts into dissonance and harshness. Airy singing. Avant-garde ending.
3- Nice instrumental, midtempo.
4- Faux classical with sparsely rocking guitar: Pecking mid/fast work with a cool, out-there viola solo.
5- Distortion, fuzz, and some out-there improv! Starts and ends folky, with nice singing at the end.
6- Downcast. Unusual, clangy chords in mid/fast but sparse patterns. Criss-crossing vocal harmony.
7- Peaceful, pastoral. Some nice viola trickery in there.
8- A sweet closing track, instrumental.