Are Possible

North Carolinas Nathan Bowles is a journeyman multi-instrumentalist who has consistently flown under the radar despite a long and varied career. Best known for his drumming and banjo playing, he has been a member of the cult experimental folk bands the Black Twig Pickers and Pelt and collaborated with Steve Gunn, Joan Shelley, Jake Xerxes Fussell, and many others. Bowles has also released numerous projects of his own that usually combine minimalist Appalachian-inspired folk music with drone, psychedelia, and other avant-garde styles. His most recent project was Keys, a largely instrumental banjo and guitar duo album with similarly prolific Chicagoan Bill MacKay that came out in 2021. Are Possible, his second release for Drag City, sees him working in trio format with double bassist Casey Toll and drummer Rex McMurry. With Bowles primarily on banjo, the band is an effective and organic unit, building tightly composed pieces into energetic improvisations that echo folk, jazz, Appalachian, and even rock music. The six pieces, which range between four and almost ten minutes in length, are surprisingly approachable, melodic even, while still bearing all the wild tangents and emotions of group spirit. Unlike some of his earlier solo outings, this is very much a collaborative effort, justly credited to the Nathan Bowles Trio. At their most locked-in, the group creates intricate hivemind grooves like on "The Ternions" or the borderline-funky "Top Button." Every now and then, another instrument makes a cameo, most notably the autumnal flute on standout "Our Air," but for the most part the songs consist of banjo, bass, and drums interacting naturally in the room. At 9:26, closer "Aims" is the longest and most meditative of the tracks, meandering through folk-drone sections, breakdowns, and builds. Its a lovely record with a lot of personality and passion that showcases a rarely heard instrumental combo. ~ Timothy Monger