Mute Duo Migrant Flocks

At its core, Mute Duo’s music is expansive. It blows past preconceived notions of “genre”—and never more so than on Migrant Flocks. Their second LP with American Dreams and first recorded with Cooper Crain (Ty Segall, Circuit des Yeux, Bitchin Bajas), Migrant Flocks synthesizes the band’s wide-ranging influences and techniques into a striking document of singular music. It’s sharp, dynamic, understated, inventive, and their first album to bring the power of their concerts onto record. The result blends the band’s preexisting musical touchstones—beauty, joy, groove, ambience, abrasion—into a seamless whole. You might notice connections to krautrock, Dirty Three, or Talk Talk; traces of King Crimson, Sonny Sharrock; music called “post-punk,” “post-rock” or “prog”; jazz, dub, and ambient inflections. There’s something for everyone, longtime or first-time listeners alike. With Migrant Flocks, a unique band soars to new heights.