| Three | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 27 March 2020 | |||
| Recorded | 2019 | |||
| Studio | Studios 301, Alexandria, Australia | |||
| Genre | Improvised music | |||
| Length | 65:07 | |||
| Label | Fish of Milk (AUS) FOM00019 Northern Spy (US) NS126 ReR Megacorp (UK) RER NECKS 14 | |||
| Producer | The Necks | |||
| The Necks chronology | ||||
| ||||
Three is the twenty-first studio album by Australian improvised music trio The Necks released in 2020. [1] [2]
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 81/100 [3] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [4] |
| Pitchfork | 7.2/10 [5] |
| Spectrum Culture | 3.25/5 [6] |
Metacritic, which assigns a normalised rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, awarded the album a score of 81, based on 8 reviews which is considered as "Universal acclaim". [3]
Pitchfork's Colin Joyce called the album "slow, winding, and meditative" noting it was "composed almost entirely of piano, bass, and drums, and builds outwards from minimal meanderings to overgrown thickets of instrumentation". [5] Thom Jurek on AllMusic stated, "Three offers a nearly dazzling palette of sonic and musical possibility in its gathered and arranged sounds, skillful overdubs, and improvisational acumen, that are performed with unusual directness". [4] In The Quietus Johnny Lamb concluded "It really is outstanding work on all fronts. Each track here has a distinct and complementary topography. Places to explore, spend time in, and marvel at. The Necks remain at the top of their game". [7] JazzTimes reviewer Morgan Enos said "it proves that after tilling the same patch of creative terrain for their entire career, the Necks can still manage a late-period streak of excellence". [8]
Composed by Chris Abrahams, Tony Buck and Lloyd Swanton
The Necks are an Australian avant-garde jazz trio formed in 1987 by founding mainstays Chris Abrahams on piano and Hammond organ, Tony Buck on drums, percussion and electric guitar, and Lloyd Swanton on bass guitar and double bass. They play improvisational pieces of up to an hour in length that explore the development and demise of repeating musical figures. Their double LP studio album Unfold was named by Rolling Stone as "one of the top 20 avant albums of 2017."
Piano Bass Drums is the fifth album and first live album by Australian improvised music trio The Necks released on the Fish of Milk label in 1998. The album features a single track titled "Unheard", performed by Chris Abrahams, Lloyd Swanton and Tony Buck recorded in concert at The Basement in Sydney, Australia.
Aether is the sixth album by Australian improvised music trio The Necks first released on the Fish of Milk label in 2001 and later on the ReR label internationally. The album features a single hour-long track, titled "Aether", performed by Chris Abrahams, Lloyd Swanton and Tony Buck.
Athenaeum, Homebush, Quay & Raab is the ninth album and second live album by Australian improvised music trio The Necks first released on the Fish of Milk label in 2002 as a 4-CD set. The album features 4 live performances by Chris Abrahams, Lloyd Swanton and Tony Buck recorded in Melbourne, Sydney and Raab. The album was nominated for the ARIA Music Awards Best Jazz album in 2003.
Drive By is the seventh album by Australian improvised music trio The Necks first released on the Fish of Milk label in 2003 and later on the ReR label internationally. The album features a single hour-long track, titled "Drive By", performed by Chris Abrahams, Lloyd Swanton and Tony Buck.
Chemist is the ninth album by Australian improvised music trio The Necks, which was first released on the Fish of Milk label in 2006 and later on the ReR label, internationally. The album's three tracks, "Fatal", "Buoyant" and "Abillera", were written, performed and produced by the group's members: Chris Abrahams on piano, Lloyd Swanton on double bass and Tony Buck on drums and guitar. It won the ARIA Music Awards Best Jazz Album category in 2006.
Townsville is the fourteenth album and fourth live album by Australian improvised music trio The Necks first released on the Fish of Milk label in 2007 and on the ReR label internationally. The album a single track, titled "Townsville", performed by Chris Abrahams, Lloyd Swanton and Tony Buck recorded live at the Riverway Arts Centre in Thuringowa, Northern Queensland.
Open is the twelfth album by Australian improvised music trio The Necks, first released on the Fish of Milk label in 2013 in Australia and on the ReR label internationally.
Algiers is the debut album by American experimental band Algiers. The album was released through Matador Records on June 2, 2015.
M is the debut studio album by black metal project Myrkur, by Danish musician and singer-songwriter Amalie Bruun. Produced by Kristoffer "Garm" Rygg of Ulver, it was released on 21 August 2015 through Relapse Records.
The Ship is the twenty-sixth solo studio album by Brian Eno, released on 29 April 2016 on Warp Records. Announced on Eno's website on 24 February 2016, it was Eno's first solo album to contain vocals since 2005's Another Day on Earth. The Ship debuted at number 28 on the UK Albums Chart and is the second highest-charting solo album of Eno's solo career The album received critical acclaim.
The Underside of Power is the second album by American experimental band Algiers. The album was released through Matador Records on June 23, 2017. The album was produced by Adrian Utley of Portishead and his frequent collaborator Ali Chant. It was also the band's first album to feature drummer Matt Tong as a full-time member.
All the Way is a studio/live cover album by Diamanda Galás, released in 2017. All the Way was one of two albums of hers released on March 24, 2017, the other being a live album named At Saint Thomas the Apostle Harlem. These albums consisted of Galás' first released material since 2008.
Body is an album by Australian improvised music trio The Necks first released on the Fish of Milk label in 2018 in Australia and on the Northern Spy label in the US.
Unfold is an album by Australian improvised music trio The Necks first released on the Ideologic Organ label in 2017 as a double LP and download.
Vertigo is an album by Australian improvised music trio The Necks first released on the Fish of Milk label in 2015 in Australia, on ReR Megacorp in Europe, and on the Northern Spy label in the US.
8: Kindred Spirits is a 2020 live album by American jazz saxophonist Charles Lloyd. The album was released on 28 February 2020 on Blue Note Records to positive critical reviews.
Coin Coin Chapter Four: Memphis is the ninth solo studio album by American jazz musician Matana Roberts. It was released via Constellation on October 18, 2019, as CST145. The album is the fourth installment in the proposed 12-part Coin Coin and was preceded by Coin Coin Chapter Three: River Run Thee (2015).
Coin Coin Chapter Three: River Run Thee is the seventh solo studio album by American jazz musician Matana Roberts. It was released via Constellation on February 2, 2015. The album is the third installment in the proposed 12-part Coin Coin album series, in which it was preceded by Mississippi Moonchile (2013) and followed by Memphis (2019). The series, named after Marie Thérèse Coincoin, is an exploration of African-American history, the Civil rights movement, the roots of American slavery, Roberts' familial ancestry, and more.
Travel is a 2024 studio album by Australian jazz trio The Necks. It has received positive reviews by critics.