Around continues where Warm and Cool left off, using many of the same musicians. Former Neon Boy Billy Ficca's drumming shares the spotlight with Verlaine's guitar, whose varied tones move effortlessly from melody to rhythm and are at once panoramic, pastoral and atmospheric. The influence of Verlaine's love of jazz saxophone is manifested in sustained single-note melodies and his expert finesse is rousing. Around is a largely improvised record. 'The recording style is: get the mics set and start recording,' Verlaine says, 'edit the mistakes and erase the stuff you don't like.' This freewheeling style allows the raw talents of Verlaine, Ficca and Derivaz to shine through, while showcasing the cohesion of a trio that's been playing together for years. Verlaine calls them 'intuitive musicians.