THE NECKS: Vertigo CD/LP ReR MEGACORP
18 albums in and Australia’s trio, ‘The Necks’, show no sign of letting up for the foreseeable future. ‘Vertigo’ is (no surprise) one long track that touches on 44 minutes in length and is the epitome of what these guys do best; which is capitalising on the formula that has given them such longevity.
Darker in tone than previous album, ‘Open’, this is no less intricate and improvised; but has a sense of immediacy which their last output lacked. Tension is the dish of the day, as ominous bass overdrives collide with percussive clatters and crashes, alongside melancholic piano.
What makes this latest opus work is a parallel of sounds that travel side by side, as if in lanes of a motorway yet heading to separate locations. Each lane leads to its own individual outcome, yet both travellers will forever be intrinsically linked.
The Necks will not be for everyone; but they don’t have to be. Sitting down to one of their albums is always going to be an enduring journey, but this time out its one I thoroughly enjoyed from start to finish, such is the atmosphere they have created. Fans of Drone, Dark Ambient, Krautrock and experimental Jazz will gain a lot from this release; but there is even something for those that like their music that touch more stable, as this latest album feels grounded and cohesive.
8.5/10
blackaudio 
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