Review: Mighty Vertebrate is the International Anthem leader debut from Adelaide, Australia-born bassist and composer Anna Butterss. Having racked up many a studio credit for her bass playing on the international jazz and avant-garde circuit, Butterss now makes her debut, homing back in on her local West Coast music scene to deliver a sombre round number of unorthodox, bass-led experiments. Despite her star instrument taking centre stage as ever, Butterss works to a bulleted-list formula worthy of a performance artist, constructing her album from a set of oblique strategies including: "I'm going to make a song where the bass doesn't function in the role of a bass" and "I'm going to work on this for an hour and then I'm going to stop". Living up to the name, Mighty Vertebrate builds a structural complexion from disparate found parts, making for a mighty experimental jazz jaunt.
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