Bizhiki: Unbound review – commanding Native American songcraft

On his remarkable 2022 debut album Niineta, singer Joe Rainey warped the musical traditions of his Native American roots, blending vibrato-laden vocalisations with synth-derived strings and industrial kick drums. These experimental influences were facilitated by producer Andrew Broder, after the pair met at Bon Iver’s Eaux Claires music festival, and Rainey now enlists another Iver collaborator in drummer and producer S Carey, plus indigenous singer Dylan Bizhikiins Jennings. Bizhiki (taken from Jennings’ childhood nickname, meaning “little buffalo”) deliver a stirring take on Native American music, splicing the elongated syllables of the traditional songs sung at tribal powwow gatherings with a range of electronics.

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Less angular and more densely orchestrated than Niineta, the 11 tracks of Unbound artfully use powwow vocals as a counterpoint to melody-driven arrangements. Opener Franklin Warrior sets the tone, building an ambient soundscape of synth pads and dulcimer strings before Rainey’s voice enters the frame with a slow crescendo of plaintive, elongated vocalisations. The title track also uses a downtempo synth melody, paired with a wailing topline sung by Jennings, using the voice as forceful emotive texture rather than a vehicle for lyrics.

When English-language lyrics and western song structure are foregrounded, such as on the environmental laments She’s All We Have and Nashke!, the effect is less profound. By prioritising gauzy guitars, mournful piano phrases and chorus refrains, vocalisations are jarringly reduced to background atmosphere.

Yet when Rainey and Jennings are full-throated and freeform, soaring over unconventional instrumentals, their power is commanding. Amid the hammering kick drums of SGC, for instance, the pair weave a syncopated series of vocalisations, pushing each other into a cacophony of soulful self-expression. There aren’t any words to make sense of but the effect is intense, amplifying powwow through electronic percussion, distorted guitars and reverb-laden samples to keep pushing a spirited tradition forwards.

Also out this month

Hungarian producer Àbáse’s latest album Awakening (Bridge the Gap Records) is a luscious instrumental tribute to the improvised music scene of his new home town, Berlin. Encompassing the jazz-funk fanfares of the groove-laden Shining to the afro fusion of Shango (Chant to the God of Thunder), it is an energetic triumph. Psych group Sababa 5 and Japanese singer Yurika Hanashima produce a charming brand of synth-funk on their debut album Kokoro (Batov Records), peaking on the soaring vocal melodies of the title track. Indonesian singer Peni Candra Rini’s latest album, Wulansih (New Amsterdam) is a beautiful showcase of her astounding vocal power. Traversing the soft falsetto of Jenang Gula to the earthy tenor of Warasih, Rini’s melodies are affecting and sincere.