Supremely graceful third long player from Japanese duo Torso, once again released via their own Ozato imprint. The just-so arrangements of flute, cello and saxophone give the impression of a highly sophisticated musical pairing, one well in tune with tone, texture and, most crucially, emotional gravitas. Faces seems to have been made in the same spirit as much of the DIY Art Music you might have found amongst the tracklistings of any one of the number of compilations Les Disques du Crépuscule issued in the mid 80s - think Soft Verdict, Andrew Poppy, Wim Mertens, even Arthur Russell - and there's also a clear concession being made to the playful elan of Penguin Cafe Orchestra. This is undoubtely very well recorded, very pretty sounding, though Torso seem savvy enough to never let it slide into the cursed realms of the 'tasteful'. If the pair are skillful players and arrangers, than they're also equally adept at setting a scene and shaping narrative thrust. For mostly wordless music, Faces is markedly expressive, a point that's driven home on the quietly magnificent 'Contact', in which subtly manipulated field recordings slowly flower into sputtering sax, elegant strings and a chiming piano. Words become superflous with a vista so rich.
