The Thing

Scandinavian punk-jazz ensemble the Thing helped create one of the most incredible albums of 2012. It was a collaboration with Neneh Cherry — of "Buffalo Stance" fame — appropriately titled The Cherry Thing, which channelled their crazy into covers of such disparate artists as Madvillain and the Stooges. BOOT! finds the trio sailing the mighty seas of free jazz off the end of the world, evoking the spirits of John Coltrane ("India") and Duke Ellington ("Heaven") as they transcend space and time. Norwegian rhythm section Ingebrigt Håker Flaten (bass) and Paal Nilssen-Love (drums) play like they're possessed, while Swedish baritone saxophone player Mats Gustafsson lets loose a strangled goose skronk that combines with torrents of percussion and distortion to create a sound as unrelenting and unforgiving as a hurricane, acting as a reminder of the brink of chaos our existence perpetually teeters on until its inevitable demise and rebirth. It's full-on film noir, cats on tables, Lost Highway shit, and just might cure seasonal affective disorder, too. Fans of Colin Stetson and Swans should get on this.