Brian Morton, The Wire

Imagine stepping blindfold into a large room and standing among softly growling machines, with maybe something breathing in a far corner. There’s no direct address to the listener as the four parts of « pour que/la/nuit/s’ouvre » unfold. It just emerges almost diffidently. Electric guitar, upright bass and percussion are unidentifiable and indistinguishable in the gentle murk. You feel the parts rather than hearing them separately. And yet, like the (sun)flower of the title – or maybe that’s the group name – this music constantly seeks the light. There’s a tropism towards melody and a governing logic that justifies the conjoined track titles’ hint at continuity. A slow burner, but thoughtful and good.