Dirty Three, “Horse Stories,” Touch and Go. (***)

It’s probably safe to say there is no other band like Australia’s Dirty Three. The violin-fronted instrumental trio mixes old-world sentiments with the manic energy of punk rock and comes up with a blend so romantically intoxicating, it’s hardly noticeable that there’s no singer. The bass-less band, whose only other accompaniments are guitar, drums and organ, has been around for three years but is just now rising from total obscurity into America’s rock underground.

Dirty Three’s third independent album oozes with emotion--the violin sighing weepy, contemplative sentiments with Eastern European and Celtic flavorings, then building into rollicking spirits of anger. As played by Warren Ellis, the instrument sounds like everything from a penny whistle to a whirlwind of autumn leaves, while the music conjures up images of warm winds and dusty scenery. The guitar and drums are mostly minimal, adding small doses of feedback here and sparse beats there. The band does tumble into the melee with Ellis, though--moments that feel as sporadic as watching a runaway cart barrel down a steep hill.

Dirty Three’s approach is too unconventional and intimate to make it a huge band, which is all the more reason you should hunt down this collection and make it all your own.

*

Albums are rated on a scale of one star (poor), two stars (fair), three stars (good) and four stars (excellent).