HUNTERS CUT CLUTTER

Amazing what a little focus can do. It certainly turned the new, improved Hunters & Collectors into a riveting, enormously provocative outfit at the Roxy over the weekend.

With its musical crosscurrents and careening cross rhythms, the old H&C; was promising but too chaotic, with the Aussie group’s ideas often getting lost in the sonic swirl. On Saturday, the revamped band’s top priority was to cut the clutter and communicate.

The rhythm section still created industrial-strength grooves and the horns still provided splashes of instrumental color. But rather than busy flailing, these elements framed singer Mark Seymour’s anguished observations on relationships coming apart--and the people in those relationships coming unglued. Hunters & Collectors still makes a wonderful noise, but now it’s packaged to serve the song. The band plays Tuesday at the Kiss Club in Newport Beach and Thursday at the Coach House.