Bag It

Scandinavian power trio The Thing create such an unholy racket with just three instruments (Mats Gustafsson on saxes, Ingebrigt Håker Flaten on electric and upright bass, Paal Nilssen-Love on drums) that it was only natural for them to work with engineer Steve Albini. In 2008, they traveled to his Electrical Audio studio in Chicago to make this album, which includes versions of tunes by Dutch art-punk band The Ex, Swedish avant-garde composer/playwright/activist Åke Hodell, Duke Ellington, and Albert Ayler. But they subvert expectations throughout — a few pieces are explosive, but many are quiet and atmospheric. Gustafsson plays Ayler’s “Angels” as a tender ballad, while the other two lay down buzzing electronic noise and junkyard percussion behind him.