traditional development. There are moments where the material approaches stasis, but it never settles fully. The interplay keeps it slightly off-balance, which is what gives the record its beauty and coherence. It’s less about atmosphere than about relation showing how sound behaves between people. Album notes: Setting (2026) by Setting. Jaime Fennelly, Nathan Bowles, and Joe
Westerlund. Released via Thrill Jockey. Ensemble improvisation drawing from experimental folk, electronic, and minimalist traditions. 2. Wendy Eisenberg, Wendy Eisenberg The self-titled release from Wendy Eisenberg marks a continued move from solo-oriented work into more deliberate ensemble writing. Issued in 2026, the record operates between composition and improvisation, but with a clearer emphasis on arrangement than earlier releases. Eisenberg’s guitar remains central, though it’s rarely treated as a fixed voice. Phrases emerge and dissolve quickly. Melodic fragments that give way to texture, clean articulation shifts into abrasion. Individual moments are sharply defined, but they don’t necessarily resolve into a single, obvious arc, an emphasis on relation, not destination. What holds the record together is not only continuity of tone, but continuity of interaction between the ensemble. Notably, Trevor Dunn contributes a low-end presence that stabilizes the shifting woven surface. Known for his work with Mr. Bungle and John Zorn’s ensembles, Dunn brings a compo- sitional awareness that shapes how the material moves without becoming overt. His lines often function as quiet anchors, allowing the guitar to move more freely without dispersing. Across the record, Dunn’s arrangements are flexible but intentional. Parts enter and recede without fixed hierarchy, and transitions tend to occur through overlap rather than clear breaks. This creates a sense of internal logic that doesn’t feel as if it's relying on traditional development. Eisenberg’s naked vocal execution follows the same principle: integrated rather than leading, contributing to phrasing and texture as much as narrative direction. Continued on Page 106
PAOLO LE ONDATA Music Charts
1. Setting, Setting The North Carolina–based trio of Jaime Fennelly, Nathan Bowles, and Joe Westerlund bring together their captivating collective voice on this eponymous latest release. The trio weave together their backgrounds that span projects like Mind Over Mirrors, Califone, Black Twig Pickers, and Sylvan Esso into a range that is audible, but it’s not presented as collage. It’s integrated. Sometimes swampy and fat, sometimes trancey and ethereal, every sound is treated with care on Setting . Released in 2026 via Thrill Jockey, the album sits between improvisation and composition without announcing the boundary. The instru- mentation is broad and fascinating in timbre (synthesizers, cassette loops, banjo, percus- sion, electronics) but the emphasis is on how those materials are held together , not how they contrast. What distinguishes the record is its internal pacing. Even at its most abstract, there is a low, continuous sense of motion. Less beat, more pull. A hum. The trio doesn’t rely on density to create movement; they rely on alignment. Small shifts in emphasis, from percussive accents, tonal drift, changes in register, carry the structure forward. This is where their experience shows. The playing is relaxed, not loose, but deeply inten- tional like a puzzle. Nothing feels accidental. The improvisation is bounded by a shared sense of duration: how long a figure can sustain? When to redirect? When to leave space intact? That produces a continuity that doesn’t depend on
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