Christopher Bono has an almost dizzying array of projects that operate under different names. NOUS is a collective created to explore certain aspects of Bono's musical visions. This is the third (and supposedly final) NOUS outing. Except that I see there is also something called "NOUS Alpha", which is a collaboration between Bono and Gareth Jones. There's another upcoming NOUS album with Laraaji. And there are other NOUSy projects in the works.

NOUS NOUS III (Our Silent Canvas)

Lost yet? Don't be. Just listen. The idea behind NOUS is to hand talented musicians a few ideas and then see where they go. This is improvisational music, but it doesn't really have that feel. This set trends a lot more toward grand statements than NOUS II, but the journey is what makes the pieces. The conclusions are simply end statements rather than epochal pronouncements.

Which is how it should be. Experimental and improvisational music inverts the pop ethos of hook-driven songs, which is why it is not recommended for those who suffer from ADHD. NOUS is much more coherent than most who ply these waters, but it still demands full attention. Ears should be on full alert.

I get the feeling that Bono got a lot more out of the original NOUS sessions than he expected--thus all the post-trilogy NOUS releases and new collaborations. He has managed to find a large group of people who fully commit to the idea of collaboration, and he teases some of the most affecting and haunting music (of any kind) that I've heard in some time. We should be most pleased that this will not be the final NOUS statement. I've cleared my plate for many more helpings.

Jon Worley