Electrelane: Axes

Herald rating: * * * *

Verity Susman plays a variety of instruments on Electrelane's third album, and followup to last year's stunning The Power Out, including the piano, saxophone, guitar and harmonium. But it's her piano playing that's most prominent on Axes, an album recorded live in the studio and which takes the band back to their improvisational roots.

Though the piano often sounds out of kilter, and at times out of tune (because she's bashing the hell out of it), on songs like If Not Now When?, she is the one whipping this recording along.

Electrelane remind of the darker New Zealand bands of old, such as Snapper, or more recently, the Subliminals, whose songs were tense and temperamental in a good way. Take Business or Otherwise, which is mostly improv noise of plucked cello, guitar squeals, and percussive outbursts, but ends with a one-minute jam. It's all quite tuneful and groovy.

That's the thing, Electrelane like to get a groove on through all the discord and hypnotic heaviness. The contest between the searing Sonic Youth-like electric guitar and rampant bass on Those Pockets Are People that continues into The Partisan is an excellent fight.

And to add another New Zealand flavour, Electrelane also have a jangly, Flying Nun feel to them as well.

It was always going to be hard to follow The Power Out but there's nothing wrong with trying something different and having a bit of fun, albeit in a live, improv, art rock, post rock, kind of way.Label: Shock