In choreographer and dancer Danielle Goldman’s book I Want to Be Ready, she writes: “A skilled improviser will be intimately familiar with her habitual ways of moving, as well as the shifting social norms that give those movements meaning. Then, on a moment-to-moment basis, she figures out how to move.” Alex Lewis and Jake Nussbaum, known as the Early, have taken that advice to heart on their new album, to the extent that it’s named after Goldman’s book. The sounds that Lewis (on guitar and synthesizer) and Nussbaum (on drums and electronics) wrest from their respective instruments are exciting and unpredictable, allowing them to flow in and out of comfort zones, constantly playing off each other.
Following up on an EP called Cusp released last December (which also features improvisation titan Patrick Shiroishi on saxophone and field recordings), I Want to Be Ready is reminiscent of other recent ambient/noise releases, particularly the latest offerings from Pullman and the Necks. Furthermore, the Early–currently based out of Philadelphia but with origins dating back more than 20 years to New Jersey–have a sound rooted in the influences of Chad Taylor, Jim O’Rourke, Jeff Parker, and the Chicago Underground Sound. That sensibility is all over this brilliant, revelatory record.
The opener, “The Laughing Earth”, sets the stage. The subtle electric hum of feedback and the gritty, tactile grind of unorthodox percussion gradually build into an unwieldy cacophony that initially sounds unhinged, until, somehow, patterns emerge. The percussion grows more exotic as guitar figures unwind, and the lengthy runtime gives the duo time to parse the track’s seemingly endless elements.
The rumbling drum beat of “Sand Clock” sounds almost like a jazz take on sludgy stoner rock while Lewis’ electric guitar slashes about, as if both instruments are in a coordinated ballet. Like most of the album, it sounds a lot like a jam session gone darkly awry. An even jazzier route is explored on the swift, lean “Hill Forms”, incorporating plenty of complex snare work from Nussbaum as the gurgle of Lewis’ synths provides a steady throughline.
Clocking in at nearly 13 minutes, “Flossless” is the most ambitious track here, as the jittery jazz beats interweave with synths, guitars, and electronics in a multi-part, almost suite-like magnum opus, varying in tempo and intensity throughout. The song displays the dichotomy present throughout the Early’s work: there is both grandeur and intimacy in these notes, often within the same bars.
The title track closes the album with a muted, droning sense of calm. Still, like most of the record, it builds over time, as if Lewis and Nussbaum have no concerns for the limits of time or the amount of experimenting and improvising they can squeeze into a session. Like the rest of their impressive discography, I Want to Be Ready sees the Early transporting and transcending, exploring the textures their unique instrumentation provides.