Well, it doesn't miss drums, that's for sure, but calling it to listeners' attention so brazenly makes one think the band either has a chip on its shoulder or is using its instrumentation as an attention-getting device. Whatever; the music stands on its own well enough. The band's composers -- Joachim Gies, Thomas B?hm-Christl, and Thomas Wiedermann -- meld free jazz and contemporary classical techniques convincingly. Boppish melodies are juxtaposed with abrasive string textures, as the composed and improvised elements coexist and mingle naturally. The ensemble is tight but not too tight; there's a great deal of energy and spontaneity. It's intelligent and well-conceived music, but not without at least one significant flaw: the featured vocalists. In such harmonically free contexts as this, improvised vocals are problematic. Perhaps it's because the mechanics of an instrument force a certain discipline upon an instrumentalist, even in the least-structured format, yet no such mechanical constraints act upon a vocalist, who is able to indulge in his or her wildest flights whether or not they make musical sense. While the vocals here are occasionally effective, they often seem less than musical. That said, the compositions are nicely crafted, the performances intense, and the overall impression made by this album is positive. It's adventurous and unconventional -- qualities that shouldn't be taken for granted. ~ Chris Kelsey
