
Good For Cows - Bebop Fantasy
Good For Cows
Asian Man Records
2004
The third album by duo Good For Cows, is yet more of they're great simple, stripped back acoustic improvised jazz.
Always a joy to listen to, it is intricate and devilishly simple. Opener "MC Ballad" is a slow starter, but when it kicks in after a few minutes, you feel that rhythmic drumming and the double bass just jarring together. It shouldn't work, but hell, it does.
That's probably the overriding theme of this album, the nature of the weird compositional juxtapositions. "Le Tigre" is a fine example, where the two musicians could easily have been in two different rooms recording their pieces. On first listen it sounds out of time, but you know these guys are too good to make that error. It keeps you on your toes, always moving.
You'd be amazed at the range of sounds you can get with just drums and a double bass as well. There is everything from the very dark, angry, to happy, tongue in cheek, poking fun, not really taking itself seriously.
I would dare to say that if you were unsure of this, if you like stuff like Fugazi, the Ex or anything like that, you'd probably find someting in what Good For Cows do that you could get into.
Good for Cows
Review - Kenny Mooney