Big Lazy

An auspicious debut from this N.Y.C. instrumental trio that carves room between Link Wray's, Tom Waits', and Ennio Morricone's spaghetti Western soundtracks. Big Lazy never overwhelms you with their chops. Sometimes ominous, especially when bassist Paul Dugan bows his strings on "Elephant Walk," but more often as tough and wiry as Gary Cooper walking down a deserted Main Street in High Noon. Guitarist Stephen Ulrich's lines spar with the standup bass patterns, creating a throbbing, sometimes experimental hybrid that's neither jazz nor rock but borrows from both. This music invokes glistening wet streets and Sam Spade digging for clues in dives on the seedy side of town. On "Crooked" the sound is pure Waits circa Rain Dogs but nods toward a more frenzied Reverend Horton Heat on the double-time rockabilly-fueled "Princess Nicotine," complete with grunting, unintelligible vocal accompaniment. The title of "Hero Turned Suspect" perfectly captures the schizophrenic quality of their approach, as the sparse, reverbed guitar tangos with upright bass and primitive drums portentously thumping in the background. Big Lazy makes evocative, original music for a non-existent film noir Late Late Show double feature. Spellbinding, innovative, and distinctive.