Fly or Die II: Bird Dogs of Paradise cover

Fly or Die II: Bird Dogs of Paradise

Released

On her second album with her Fly Or Die band, Jaimie Branch becomes a political polemicist; the album’s heart is the 11-minute “Prayer For Amerikkka,” a two part song-poem that tackles racism, both individual and structural, and the plight of immigrants. Branch recites razor-sharp lyrics over a crawling, Mingus-esque blues vamp. Other tracks like “Simple Silver Surfer” and “Nuevo Roquero Estéreo” just let the band — bassist Jason Ajemian and drummer Chad Taylor from the debut, and new cellist Lester St. Louis — groove, and that’s fantastic too.

Phil Freeman

Recommended by

Suggestions
In the Spirit of Ntu cover

In the Spirit of Ntu

Nduduzo Makhathini
Live Volume V cover

Live Volume V

Fred Anderson
The Magic Triangle cover

The Magic Triangle

Famoudou Don Moye, Joseph Jarman, Don Pullen
Fly or Die cover

Fly or Die

Jaimie Branch
People in Sorrow cover

People in Sorrow

Art Ensemble of Chicago
Since Time Is Gravity  cover

Since Time Is Gravity

Natural Information Society
Salvation cover

Salvation

Funeral Mist
Body and Soul cover

Body and Soul

David Murray Quartet