Twin Talk: Twin Talk Live

The trio Twin Talk makes music that is best described as stealthfully hip. This Chicago ensemble of drummer Andrew Green, tenor saxophonist Dustin Laurenzi and bassist/vocalist Katie Ernst does not trade in a clamorous and flamboyant sound. Still, in their own way, the trio stands out as expressive and captivating. Their fallaciously titled Twin Talk Live is the trio's third release and it follows Weaver (37d03d, 2019) and a self-titled 2015 disc on Ears&Eyes Records.

Each of the musicians performs in other ensembles, Ernst with James Falzone, Gerrit Hatcher and also in folk music and indy rock units. Laurenzi leads his own ensembles Natural Language and Snaketime, and performs with artists such as Paul Dietrich, Matt Ulery, and Jeremy Cunningham. Green can be heard with Jamie Breiwick's Spirits Quartet, and in folk music and samba percussion ensembles. When the three come together as Twin Talk that a special chemistry is found.

The title Live is imprecise because the album was recorded not in front of a live audience, but in a series of mini-sets captured in a studio over three days. This approach maintains the freshness of a live gig, without the glass clinking, audience chatter and register ringing of a live venue, plus the sound benefits of a studio. The trio creates infectious grooves on "Always Left" and "Tricks" with Ernst's robust bass up front, propelled by Green's drumming. The pair's combination on "Nine," with Laurenzi weaving knotty lines finds the internal tension quelled by way of Ernst's wordless vocals. Throughout, the bassist accents tracks with her improvised sung syllables. On "Keep it Heated" she exhales the track's melody in tandem with her bass and Laurenzi's saxophone. Elsewhere, on the opening of "Ulerian," the saxophonist effects sounds that could be mistaken for a vinyl record spun backward before metamorphosing it into a gentle butterfly. The music is intricate without becoming inaccessible, and comfortable without turning honeyed. In other words, stealthfully hip.