The Ex - 27 Passports (2018)

Dutch band The Ex formed in 1979 and were initially known as an anarcho-punk band. Since, they have released over 20 full-length albums of musical experiments and numerous collaborations blending punk and free jazz with styles of folk music from all over the world. ""We always start from zero when we make a new album. We enter the rehearsal room with a few loose ideas, a riff or a beat and see what happens. There is always the risk that it doesn't work out. That risk is part of our music and of our lives."" - The Ex. With the unmistakable ""Ex energy"". the three-pronged guitar approach is still as exciting as ever, with the guitars of Andy Moor, Terrie Hessels and Arnold de Boer creating tense, interlocking webs of connections, and drummer Katherina Bornefeld pushing the band with dancing, hypnotic patterns. There are some remnants of their African adventures (with Ethiopian legend Getatchew Mekuria) , but most of all, this is a return to the power of The Ex as a unit that effortlessly juggles noisy/disjointed guitar parts, trance-like grooves, defiant chanting and a relentless, infectious drive.