The brilliant are back with another descent into pan-European musical debauchery. Very few bands make ethnomusicology sound like so much fun. Hailing from Poland and led by violinist and cellist/singer , the joyfully blends folk tunes from its native region with elements of rock, funk, soul, hip-hop, klezmer, and Scandinavian music to create a slightly chaotic and always thrillingly energetic sound. On , the vinegary female harmonies of give way to the darker and even lovelier tonalities of ; features a nice blend of acoustic instruments, vocals, and funky turntablism; evokes (and features some really lovely dulcimer playing by ) while simultaneously demonstrating the connections between Polish and Scandinavian dance music; and tops off the program in delicately lovely fashion with just violin, suka, and dulcimer. Every so often an experiment does go awry: fake blues is almost always embarrassing, and the vehicle is no exception; is effectively emotive but musically unsatisfying. But it's the clunkers that bring out the texture on an album like this, and this one is a solid winner overall. ~ Rick Anderson