The Nels Cline Singers: Macroscope
You couldn’t quite call The Nels Cline Singers—drummer Scott Amendola, bassist Trevor Dunn and Wilco’s lead guitarist—a power trio. Perhaps you could call it flower power, considering how they turn on a dime from whispery electronic murmurs to a screaming acid-rock frenzy on the Singers’ third album, Macroscope. Cline’s many moods coalesce into a portrait of the artist as a novelty-driven sonic omnivore. “Companion Piece” builds from an acoustic whisper into a raging-cauldron of electric lava, “Respira” evokes Brazilian guitar greats with breathy wordless vocals and Cyro Baptista’s percussion, and “Seven Zed Heaven” delivers 11 minutes of inventive chordal massaggio.