The Bureau

One of the better albums in Rova's confusingly expansive discography, From the Bureau of Both features some of the quartet's most immediately rewarding moments, as well as a few on the opposite end of the spectrum. Rova can be surprisingly accessible when the group's free explorations are tethered to strong frameworks, and that's the case with much of this album. "Swang" became something of a signature piece for the group, featuring a jaunty, rhythmic opening riff that builds into a more complex main passage with several different parts, followed by some spirited group interaction. "Swapmeet! Swapmeet!!" and "Streak" follow a similar pattern: driving rhythms and catchy themes in the lower register, plus interlocking melodies over the top, all of which gives the group members solid bases from which to take flight in their solos.