his recording does what all good radio sessions do and then some. Multi-instrumentalist Daniel Padden (Volcano the Bear) has loosened his grip on the material from his virtually solo The Owl of Fives LP and recast it live with a ferociously elegant quintet. The performance of these seven pieces (some new at the time of recording and some re-titled excursions) are as open as they can possibly be while still holding in place the identifiable elements that define the song.

The opening scrape, saw, and rattle of “Clown Flinging” is a deceptive beginning to a song steered by intricate strings and a mournfully sharp bouzouki melody. The instrument’s clinking metallic chimes clank perfectly against the ever-reliable genius of Alex Neilson’s (Jandek/Taurpis Tula) free percussion work. When Padden’s own sing-along drunken caterwaul intertwines with the swooning viola, it’s obvious that this set of songs has design at its core despite the slack reins.

For a set of songs written and performed by the bandleader, Padden is surprisingly open with the improvisational spotlight. There’s never the feeling that anyone is softened or curtailed from going with the freer flows by a diktat from Padden. The players are more than capable of bringing the most in the possibility of improvisations within these compositions.

The album’s air is thick with the sweat and steam of Eastern European traditional Gypsy music, heavy doses of Klezmer, touches of Flamenco, and Russian stylings. The cello and voluptuary viola build and capture the gorgeous driving windswept widescreen feel of these ineffably romantic genres. The One Ensemble of Daniel Padden may mine same territory as acts like A Hawk and a Hacksaw, Silver Mt. Zion, and Black Ox Orkestar, but this release packs in many more obvious moments of passion and merriment.

Themes like “Weevils” and the strong rhythmic element of “Mustard Mustard” help conjure dancing desert ingénues and other unhelpfully atrocious stereotypes, but there’s magic here. Where some of the eclecticism of Padden’s solo and group studio work can sometimes sound like the kitchen sink wasn’t too far away, this has everything in its right place. The mixture of traditional and the spirit of exploration give the music a fire and a passion that doesn’t seem to be boiling over in much “modern” music lately. Padden’s rousing shouts and chants (alongside another unidentifiable band members) add to the energy levels urging the band onwards toward almost anthemic heights. The music’s complexity and the band’s obvious vigour set a high benchmark for followers.

The classical look of the handmade letterpress sleeve only adds to the overall impression that this is something special. VPRO have been lucky enough to catch one of those rare moments in time when a band are truly on fire.