Pop Music Reviews : Holcomb and All-Star Company at the Roxy

The sound of Robin Holcomb and band--in which her pretty, elliptical folk-rock compositions get an askew, “ambient” sonic treatment--is a little like Fairport Convention meets Fripp & Eno. Where they’d meet is neither a coffeehouse nor a “new music” confab, though either Holcomb solo or the group sans vocals might fit in those respective spaces perfectly.

As it was, the whole not-so-mutually-exclusive enchilada was on view Monday at the Roxy for an eclectic show featuring the all-star band from Holcomb’s debut album, including husband Wayne Horvitz on keyboards and heavyweight Bill Frisell (as much a star of the evening as Holcomb) on guitar.

Though Holcomb is a gifted sketch artist as a lyricist--singing with a warble like an avant-garde Carly Simon--the show’s truly astounding moments came in extended sojourns outside the song structure.

At times, the six-piece outfit--which incorporated occasional sax, clarinet and tuba--sounded like a “Twin Peaks” jazz combo, and their instrumental “Dixie” suggested a Civil War-obsessed Benjamin Horne, trying to climb his way back to the classic melody through his dementia.

In concert as on record, though, the most phenomenal piece was “Hand Me Down All Stories,” which begins with some of the most disturbing chord changes you’re likely to hear in a tonal pop song and then builds a thing of great beauty with them, with a big rock beat to boot. Not often do we get to hear music this lovely and mind-bendingly twisted.