Israeli-trained, Chicago-based pair Danny Markovitch and Dani Rabin – whose surnames elide and coalesce to form ‘Marbin’ – released their self-titled debut in 2009. Since then the duo have plumped up their ranks considerably, adding drummer Paul Wertico, seven-time Grammy winner with the Pat Metheny Group, and bassist Steve Rodby and picking up numerous other contributing vocalists and rhythm men along the way. The result of this newly expanded configuration is Breaking the Cycle, a highly melodic and gleefully beefy bit of middle eastern motif-infused jazz-rock. Opener ‘Loopy’, boasting big pounding drums from Wertico and a real face-melter of a solo from guitarist Rabin, is anthemic and sonically vast. ‘A Serious Man’ is smoother, ‘Mom's Song’ provides a lovely, dreamy interlude and then ‘Bar Stomp’ descends into dirty blues territory – this would make a great theme for a po-mo spaghetti western. There's an airiness throughout that's both epic and folksy in feel. The last of the 11 tracks here, ‘Winds of Grace’, featuring the words and voice of Daniel White, is positively nutroubador. As a collection, it's basically all over the place – and all the better for that.