It was back in April. A cold spring morning in New York, my friend and I drove out of Brooklyn, up the West Side Highway until we got to Harlem. Enjoying the views of Riverside Drive and parking right by Sakura Park, we walked over to the gazebo where a band of gypsies were playing and just sat down and enjoyed an hour's worth of bohemian New York, something completely missing from the city these days.
No-Neck Blues Band do these sort of things quite often and god bless them for it. Keeping the traditions of New York alive, this loose-knit collective has been at the forefront of the Free Folk scene, while constantly adding new sounds to their kitchen sink repertoire. Incorporating anything from pots and pans to tree trunks and melodicas, NNCK make it look so easy, but that's just a testament to the strength of their vision.
Dutch Money is the first installment of a two-part LP-only series (the other being First Kingdom of the Ghost), produced and released in conjunction with Seres. Recorded live in 2003 at VPRO in Amsterdam, these five jams, ranging from three minutes to thirteen minutes in length, are arguably the band's finest recorded moment. Unlike previous releases that lacked a definitive rhythm, Dutch Money finally keeps the band grounded and allows their free sounds to wander without going off in different directions.
Percussion is still at the center of the NNCK sound, but a more definitive groove keeps the music in check. On "The Festoon Bid," an organ plays in tandem with ramshackle percussive instruments for several minutes before a melodica weaves its way into the jam along with meandering guitar notes. This is a recurring theme on the album that keeps the listener leaning forward in anticipation for what is to come next.
With bands like Sunburned Hand of the Man grabbing the spotlight within the free-folk scene, it is truly nice to see NNCK release an album like Dutch Money that is strong from start to finish, proving that this collective has a lot more to say musically. And as a bonus, Dutch Money is limited to only 500, packaged in a deluxe paste-one heavy jacket. A collector's item, indeed.
1. Maid of Many Sands
2. Raising the Low Road
3. I See Popping Slaughter
4. The Festoon Bid
5. Sharing Charlestown with the World
More about: No-Neck Blues Band
