3 out of 5

Label: Perishable

Produced by: Graeme Gibson (tracks 1-4), Joe Ferguson (tracks 5-16)

While somewhat less accessible than Deceleration One, the second live soundtrack the group recorded (with some Truck Stop Recordings friends like Jim Becker, Joe Adamik) can more easily be classified as improv, so it’s perhaps an easier recommendation to those searching for jazzy / folky stuff that can be bundled under that term.

The collection kicks off almost completely unrecognizable as Califone, sounding like a slow burn jazz track, complete with audience claps when something notable happens (whether it’s to the group’s performance or ‘Francis,’ which they’re scoring, who knows).  It takes a while to get going, similar to Decel One, except this track, at four minutes, is half the length, and doesn’t quite have as much of a crescendo as the previous opener.

The next set of tracks are ‘Music for ‘Firework (no mail days are sad days)’ ,’ split into three.  The first part is where the improv tag truly shines through, wandering about before some feedback transitions into the second track, which finds some structure in minimalism, building some truly aggressive (but again, still not really Califone-y) percussion that carries over to the first half of the third part, before settling down rather unceremoniously.

The remaining 12 tracks score Alla Nazimova’s ‘Salome.’  Here the band starts to sound like itself, delivering swooning sad, folky moments that feel composed, like the bookends of Deceleration One (which were its highlights).  Unfortunately, my use of “moments” is accurate: the tracks are primarily two minutes long and don’t transition to one another, meaning they stop short once a groove has been found.  Something of a traditional soundtrack in that sense.  Thankfully the track lengths expand to allow for full songs starting with ‘She Dances,’ which is amazingly moody and catchy.  The remaining tracks on the disc stick with these strengths.

The overall hit to meh ratio may be the same as the first volume, but the sequencing one Two isn’t nearly as welcoming, leaving the listener swimming through occasionally interesting moments until elements converge for the excellent final fourth of the disc.