From the avant-prog-klezmer- jazz opener “Sonic Riot at the Holy Palate” to the similarly themed horn arrangement that ends the otherwise modal jazz drone of “The Unbelievable Truth - Part II,” the third release from Belgium’s TWO is brimming with artful compositions and quirky guitar work. Originally a Zappa tribute band, guitarist Michel Delville and his colorful cohorts have pushed the quintet’s music far beyond homage status, into an oeuvre combining structural complexity with emotional authenticity, much as their mentor’s music did. The super-flanged atmospherics on “Acquiring the Taste,” the anarchic wah work on “Malign Siesta,” the choppy rhythm madness on “Strangler Fig,” and the manic soloing on the aforementioned album closer are just a few of the many guitar highlights scattered throughout the disc.
—Barry Cleveland