brennan subtitles these records ‘sonic openings under pressure’. Although Ayantola guests on the first and Swell on the second, they are basically about the trio of brennan, Greene and Baker.

The CIMP record adds Swell and here the circumstances undo brennan’s intentions (even he admits that the four-part ‘permeations gumvindaboloo’ would benefit from a bigger instrumentation). The tricky compositions feel heavy with structural pretensions. The playing has great commitment but the results sound oddly tired.

- Richard Cook and Brian Morton

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