Black Duck with Elena Setién – “Land of the Many Eyes”

It’s a busy year for Douglas McCombs (Tortoise), embarking on a tour with new outfit Yr Knives, already cuing up a release with BASIC and now announcing a new record with Black Duck. The latter he’s been a part of since 2023’s eponymous debut, connecting with fellow Chicago stalwarts Bill MacKay and drummer Charles Rumback. Now the trio open themselves up even further, adding collaboration from Basque musician Elena Setién. The trio played with Setién on a 2025 tour and found a kinship on stage. The kinship led to the recording of Black Duck with Elena Setién. “Land of Many Eyes” slips quietly onto the speakers, but doesn’t linger lightly. The band cradles Elena’s smoke and sequin vocals, creating a velveteen presence that pads through the air with a feline grace. Straddling jazz, post-rock, and pop with a prowess that speaks to the players pedigree, the single sets the album up nicely as one to watch in the coming months. The new record is out August 28th from Thrill Jockey.

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