Brooklyn-based post-rock / jazz trio Scree best hone their sound in a live setting — their set opening for Ben Seretan this past February was, in my opinion, one of the more transcendent performances i’ve seen in recent years. Live at The Owl captures much of the unbridled, experimental aspects that make the group such a joy to listen to, brimming with noodling interplay between upbeat bass and live guitar, shuffling freeform percussion, and well-timed discordant segues that introduce a cerebral, melancholic break from melody. Unfortunately not present on the LP are guitarist Ryan Beckley’s inter-track spoken word interludes (which offered a nice reprieve from the band’s swirling, blue-toned sound in concert); until the dust settles on New York’s indefinite concert postponement and you can enjoy Scree IRL, stream this masterful instrumental effort below. —Connor Beckett McInerney, Photo by Jason Burger
