HEALTH & BEAUTY - NO SCARE (CD)

NO SCARE is the Wichita debut for Chicago's Health&Beauty, a band led by Brian Sulpizio and backed by keyboard player Ben Boye (Ryley Walker, Bonnie Prince Billy, Angel Olson, etc) and hugely in-demand jazz drummer, Frank Rosaly (Ryley Walker, Peter Brotzmann and many more). The album recalls the 70s sound of Neil Young (one song originally included a Neil Young lyric and melody which, alas, had to be removed), but with a more angular side, perhaps recalling Dirty Projectors - it's a wonderful showcase for the three musicians' amazing chops, from the urgent rush of opener "Back to the Place", through the title-track's afrobeat / highlife melodies to the beautiful, more gentle "Im Yr Baby (for Aaron Swartz)".