Nabou: Indigo

From the mid-90s through the early 2000s, a certain late-night vibe permeated the best music from Europe; it was 'chill,' but underneath the surface, there was restlessness and a simmering anxiety. From the claustrophobic pulse of Tricky's Pre-Millennium Tension to the glitchy beats and organic beauty of Four Tet's Rounds, the music worked because there was a delicate balance between beauty and that underlying tension. That same energy exists throughout Indigo, the new album by Nabou, the quartet led by Belgian trombonist and composer Nabou Claerhout.

Claerhout does not play her trombone as one might expect; rather than being a loud, brassy, boisterous instrument, she uses pedals and effects to give her trombone a human, voice-like quality. On the album opener "Consent (for Stijn), her playing is intimate, almost as if she is whispering secrets in your ear.  The underlying tension from the rest of the quartet perfectly balances her intimate tone.  Bassist Trui Amerlinck  provides a consistent pulsating throb, while guitarist Gijs Idema adds texture, able to create both solo and atmospheric impressions masterfully. At the same time, drummer Daniel Jonkers  plays twitchy, tight beats, at times more akin to a sampled electronic beat than live drums, which continue to drive the music forward, creating a nervous energy that Claerhout's trombone provides the relief from.

Indigo is the perfect name for this album. It signals that the group is moving beyond the blues, where jazz often resides, and into a space that is not. completely dark; it is a transitional color somewhere between light and dark, a blurring, a twilight even, a space where both light and dark exist simultaneously, day metamorphosing into night. On "Flux Bloom," the band coheres into one entity, again blurring the lines of what a jazz quartet can be, demonstrating that creating a coherent mood can be as impressive as showcasing your chops. There are three "Echo" interludes interwoven throughout the album.  These short atmospheric dreams serve as palate cleansers before the next sonic wave rolls in, offering listeners a moment to reflect on what they just experienced.

Nabou has crafted a sophisticated, beautiful record with Indigo, a master class in mood and atmosphere, a provocative album perfect for the twilight. By seamlessly incorporating new members into the quartet, they have also found a new collective sound that perfectly matches Claerhout's own unique voice on trombone. In the end, Indigo is more than just an album to listen to; it is a dark, wondrous headspace to inhabit.