DIRTY THREE She Has No Strings Apollo (Touch and Go)

Australia's Dirty Three have been at it for over ten years now, so the fact that newcomers still marvel at the existence of an indie trio subsisting on only guitars (Mick Turner), violins (Warren Ellis) and drums (Jim White) doesn't faze them. What, no bass, no techno loops, no singer? No thanks. Post-rock never sounded so, well, pre-rock. This time around, it's a bit lighter on the ears than the earth-shaking Horse Songs but just as potent as their seminal Ocean Songs. All the ingredients are there for another weighty entry. "She Has No Strings" is a moving, multifaceted work of sadness and kinetic energy, while the aptly named "Long Way to Go With No Punch" is an ambling masterpiece of deft piano accents, ghost-town strumming and endless atmosphere. And though She Has No Strings Apollo might only boast seven songs, the release nevertheless creates a world you can escape into for a solid hour's worth of much-needed introspection. Because Dirty Three doesn't make music to listen to, they make music to experience; in other words, this isn't stuff to plug into while you're at the gym. It's stuff you turn on when you need to think and feel. Deeply. She Has No Strings Apollo is one of those releases that can change the way you look at what music can truly be when all the major-label overproduction dust settles.