Big Bad Wolf are building a big bad rep on the indie jazz'n'rock scene, and understandably so. They ply a sensually slow and melodic ensemble sound, based around the interweaving frontmen of Dawson and Luft. If Luft's soloing is to the fore on his solo debut Riser (see p41), Pond Life finds him very much the team player, taking on the role of one of his heroes, John Parricelli. Like Parricelli, Luft's long lines and varied colours blend and weave with drums and bass around Dawson's sumptuously-toned trombone. Various African rhythms surge and recede, wisps of yearning melodies rise and fall and just when you sense a slipping into lounge core, with a smile and a twist of wit, their songs come at you with sweet surprise. ‘Flats Of Dagenham’ most readily catches the ear, with Luft's legato solo singing against an insistent beat. But wherever you turn, be it the joyous bounce of ‘Canary’ or the lyrical melancholy of ‘Quiet Coach’, there's treasure to discover.