Vibracathedral Orchestra

***The second full-length outing from the quintet of NEIL CAMPBELL, MICHAEL FLOWER, JULIAN BRADLEY, BRIDGET HAYDEN, and ADAM DAVENPORT. Like their UK cousins and fellow VHF recording artists Sunroof!, VIBRACATHEDRAL ORCHESTRA usually works from a base of modal improvisation. Led by Campbell's sawing violin, the group builds up arcs of lingering overtones beneath an undercurrent of melody. They cut the drones in their life with extremely effective bursts of near rock, in a style reminiscent of the pre-Nico Velvet Underground (circa 1966 or so). The band's combination of clattering percussion, droning strings, and considerable sense of where to put the "groove" makes them unique among their peers.