Following the release of their debut self-titled album last week, trio Black Duck (Douglas McCombs, Bill MacKay, Charles Rumback) share the wistful, hypnotic new video for “Second Guess”. Filmed and edited by Rumback, the video captures a Chicago away from tourist traps and sensationalist news stories, highlighting the strange beauty of the city’s everyday places. Blustering guitar figures and skittering rhythmic flourishes trace the urban sprawl, billowing down quiet streets and past truck stops, with Rumback collaging textures and imagery in a way that perfectly mirrors the trio’s painterly, emotive approach to making music.
Black Duck is a gallery of sonic tapestries, unbound by any genre constraints while also utilizing genre touchstones. Challenging what a trio of two guitarists and a drummer can do, pieces move from breezy shuffles to stormy blues rumbles to gorgeous textural drones. Playing entirely improvised live sets for years helped develop the trio’s acute senses for one another, knowing precisely how to listen to the others and bolster whatever direction they move in. Steeped in each other’s voices, Black Duck entered the studio with engineer/producer John Hughes III with only three tunes written prior, one by each member, and the remaining pieces took shape much as their live performances, improvised on themes or simple motifs. The resulting debut album captures a band already deeply in tune with one another – with McCombs, Rumback, and MacKay each bringing distinct musical voices to the project that are instantly recognizable, yet blend seamlessly with one another.
