The Necks - Bleed (2024) [Hi-Res]

Since their 1989 debut Sex, Australian trio The Necks have consistently explored extended improvisations shaped by gradual builds and fades. The 56-minute title piece established a template for album-length works that many of their future releases would follow. After two recent albums with somewhat shorter pieces, the band returns to the format of a single, long improvisation with the 42-minute composition "Bleed."

Although the Necks have occasionally used extended floating sections, propulsiveness is typically a key element in their sound. Bassist Lloyd Swanton established himself providing accompaniment for early Australian avant-jazz innovator Bernie McGann, and his style can even pull the Necks' improvisations toward jazz. Tony Buck's drumming can add power, drive, and even a sense of meter. The absence of rhythm or drive was a notable break for the group on 2001's critically acclaimed Aether but it's an extreme to which they've rarely returned.

Bleed, perhaps surprisingly, pulls the group toward the floatier tendencies of Aether, and also the 2004 piece "See Through." Chris Abrahams's keyboards move further to the foreground and the sparse, pointillistic playing that opens the piece immediately defines its character. While his parts evolve slowly, they fill plenty of space, with overtly-synthetic reverb added to stretch beyond his sustaining piano tones.

The isolated percussive sounds seem relatively conventional but their ability to consistently exist without ever defining a rhythm gives "Bleed" a unique identity, within and even beyond the Necks' extensive catalog. Snare paradiddles and pointed bass notes are structurally key to the opening’s gradual ten-minute build but beyond that, Buck's percussion notably remains in the background for most of the piece. While recognizable cymbal swells and tom rolls add color and dynamics, they leave foreground space, where Swanton and Abrahams mix pure texture with occasional hints of tonality. Buck's drum feature, which begins about thirty minutes in, contributes a final element without altering the defining atmospheric quality.

While their twenty studio albums retain their recognizable sound and approach to improvisation, the Necks continue to find new ways to explore and extend their vision. © Steve Silverstein

Tracklist:
1. Bleed