Album Review: Kieran Hebden and Steve Reid, NYC (Domino)

Dec 17, 2008 4:43 PM

Downtown address for futuristic improv
Cosmopolitan Manhattan is the inspiration for this electrified duo, a familiar couple after years of collaboration. Drummer Steve Reid reins things in with solid, guiding beats, riding the cymbal without adding too much color. Ever-fidgety electronic musician Kieran Hebden seems to be drawing from the spacey tones of his Ringer EP, a palette composed of effervescent, analog hues. On "Lyman Place," Reid locks in the tempo as Hebden whips up frothy textures, eventually going suborbital with sustained synths as the track's steady but unspectacular heartbeat barely flutters. The kalimba-like tones of "Departure" glow as Reid rumbles past, while the taut guitar on "1st & 1st" struts a bit. It's a set of airy tracks grounded in the city's soul.—Patrick Sisson [3.5 out of 5 stars]

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