Emily Hay's flute and voice have graced the albums of the avant-prog group Motor Totemist Guild since the early '80s, but they quite near vanished from the public eye following their 1998 album, City of Mirrors. This CD sets the record straight: she is still active, creative, and witty. Like Minds is a collection of sorts, spanning a decade of activity and a number of projects and collaborations. Despite the diversity, it conveys a strong sense of direction. The music is presented as being improvised, but it still relies on rhythm, composed structures (although possibly instantly composed), and the occasional melody. In short: fans of the Guild will be able to relate to this material, as it shares its invention and some of its subversive avant rock format. Hay is one of America's under-recognized creative singers. Her range, extended techniques, and playfulness should put her alongside the likes of Shelley Hirsch and Anna Homler. Among her sidemen on this album are percussionists Brad Dutz, Rich West, Joseph Berardi (ex-Non Credo), and Marcos Fernandes (from the Trummerflora collective), bassists Lisle Ellis and Steuart Liebig, guitarist Michael Whitmore, and violinist Ronit Kirchman. The Hay/Kirchman/Dutz/Berardi quartet works marvelously well in Call to Unarm, a nine-minute piece that is simply too structured to pass as an improvisation. The same goes for the song A Year and Two Weeks (featuring Hay, Whitmore, and Dutz), the only piece with overdubbed vocals. There are a few weak tracks -- the title track for instance, which has some nice vocal interplay between Hay, Kirchman, and trombonist Kurt Heyl, but never really takes off -- but they represent a small minority of the 12 pieces. And Like Minds is one of the most accessible-sounding albums the experimental label pfMENTUM has released. If you have appreciated Hay's earlier work, do not hesitate: hunt down this CD. ~ François Couture, Rovi

1		Call to Unarm
2		Liturgy of Sound
3		A Year and Two Weeks
4		Boiled Cadillac
5		Crooked Hopscotch
6		We Are
7		Like Minds
8		Wha' 'Bout
9		Spar
10		Waiting for Sara
11		Hibiki
12		Swamp Moss

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