Dos y Dos

' understated creative partnership has lasted so long that any new album is almost an unexpected pleasure; and 's recorded work is almost overshadowed both by their various live performances and their individual efforts in turn (especially , who always seems to be doing ten things at once). , the duo's fourth album in 25 years and their first new one in 17, finds the two continuing to make their mark with the deftly simple approach of two electric basses and 's occasional vocal a minimal, eternally engaging approach to a song. The easy way in which hooks are traded off between the two performers, the melodic leads played steadily and sweetly with instruments played non-traditionally, has been a part of the band since the start, but there's a sense that the two players have settled into a place where all their unrecorded work slowly built up over a decade and has come together just so. has a quick, almost quizzical tone that's fun to hear as the two players throw in a little hard funk in between their calmer interactions, building to a series of rising notes and a gentle conclusion. When 's voice steps out, the feeling is conversational but still sung, a series of considerations and observations. 's additional vocal on adds a little theatrical threat to the unsettling scenario of personal and physical shaping, while 's lovely take on 's is another unexpected pleasure, her most to-the-fore and romantic performance on the album and an overall highlight. A nice touch is a pack of distant and seemingly happy dogs on adding a little swirling unexpectedness to the sweet feeling of the main parts; it could almost be an understated theme song for a documentary series on Animal Planet. ~ Ned Raggett