Tren Brothers: Tren Brothers EP

Since moving from Australia to Chicago, the members of the amazing instrumental band Dirty Three have been exponentially more prolific, which is a wonderful thing. From the upcoming Dirty Three full-length Ocean Songs to violinist/frontman Warren Ellis' work on Cash Money's new Halos Of Smoke And Fire to guitarist Mick Turner's 1997 solo album Tren Phantasma, there hasn't exactly been a shortage of material with the words "of Dirty Three" somewhere in the press kit. The newest piece is this five-song EP by Tren Brothers, which is ostensibly a post-script to Turner's solo album that features Turner and underappreciated Dirty Three drummer Jim White. The line-up isn't quite as confusing as all that background information implies (Dirty Three &shyp; Warren Ellis = Tren Brothers), and the music on the new EP is just as gauzy and film-score-worthy as Turner's solo work would lead you to expect. While Dirty Three's songs are built around the delirious juxtaposition between meandering whispers and cacophonous thunder, Turner and White keep things mostly quiet here, ambling through moody, ambient instrumental vistas. The occasional melodica or harmonica breezes through, but for the most part, Turner's woozy, sometimes looped guitar serves as the lead voice throughout Tren Brothers EP, and a beautiful voice it is. They lack the dramatic punch you'd get from Dirty Three's complex interplay and majestic showboating, but these five tracks are all sullen marvels, and White's drum work adds a rich new dimension to Turner's violin-free output.