The Chicago instrumental combo Yr Knives includes Tortoise/Eleventh Dream Day member Douglas McCombs on bass along with other local post-rock mainstays. They introduced their debut album Begin Yr Singing with “Fear&Trimbling,” a study in muscular intellectual noodling that surprisingly built to an emotionally devastating orchestral finale. It was tremendous.
On their second single, Yr Knives show off a different side of their sound. “Fear&Trimbling” rocked in a sense — there was definitely some twitchy, volatile energy in it — but today’s “Stretch Bath” forgoes the spidery tendencies and leans into chunky, riff-driven low-end guitar action. It’s excellent too, and volatile in its own way. These guys rule.
Listen below.
Begin Yr Singing is out 10/30 on Western Vinyl. Pre-order it!

