Largo by Bill Rieflin & Chris Connelly

The Odd Couple
With his superbly quirky solo record, Birth Of A Giant and the instrumental tour de force of Repercussions Of Angelic Behaviour (arguably the best album the King Crimson’s ProjeKct’s never did) under his belt, Bill Rieflin has teamed up with Chris Connelly for a delightful album of otherworldly songs.

Known for his time in Ministry and collaborations with Jah Wobble and Jim O’ Rourke, it’s Connelly who provides the pleasantly woozy vocals that drift and scrape between the octaves of these sparse and occasionally beautiful tunes.

There's a wry humour present in many of the tracks but the gorgeously off-kilter “Pray'r” comes in on top with its sardonically unsteady piano, shuffling groove and climbing strings. Similarly Connelly's deadpan delivery of the histrionics of Wake 2 raises a supportive smirk as does the breezy, cheesy, carefree summer travelogue sounds of Rondo.

On Wake 3, Connelly articulates that dread feeling that everyone probably has from time to time – that we'll wake up from a night of troubled dreams only to discover that we've metamorphosed into David Bowie. They play it straight long enough however, to provide an effective rendition of John Cale's heartfelt lamentation, Close Watch in fine style.

Throughout the album, they receive glorious support from the gifted Fred Chalenor on flowing bass (one of the talents and energies behind the excellent Hughscore) and a string section which adds a cosy lustre.

Several pieces stray into minor-key territories explored by the likes of Michael Mantler, Carla Bley and Robert Wyatt. Here the songs acquire a ponderous grandeur despite only drawing upon a minimal set of motifs and themes. Rieflin's use of woebegone organ lines to describe the stark outlines of lonely tunes somehow making their cover of Robert Wyatt's Sea Song a fitting and inevitable conclusion.