Joe Lally

Moving out of his native Washington, DC to Italy has enlivened Joe Lally, whose latest solo album features some of the richest grooves and startling playing of any record he's been a part of. The Fugazi bassist has crafted distinctively bouncy, yet taut, progressions before, but there are songs here that embrace jazz and classic rock riffs in particularly cool, loose ways. "What Makes You" rides this pulsing wave of sound, which recalls the "fusion" Miles Davis pioneered, while the title track's coy, insistent tone would sit well beside a Minutemen song. Lally's lyrics are artfully written, containing ideas about resistance, both in thought and action, in a complacent world, but his perspective is enigmatic. He continues to sing in such measured, hypnotic tones that it's difficult to tell if he's being grim or simply calm. Recording with a touring band that are emotive and improvisational creates this compelling balance on Why Should I Get Used to It, Joe Lally's finest post-Fugazi work.