The Necks
Piano. Bass. Drums. Infinite possibilities.
By John Mulvey.
Head and shoulders above: The Necks (from left) Tony Buck, Chris Abrahams and Lloyd Swanton in the late 1980s.
Anne Zahalka, Alamy
IN THE upper echelons of MOJO’s Best Albums Of 2023 list, one record stood out among the likes of Blur, P.J. Harvey and Paul Simon. Sandwiched between The Coral and Grian Chatten at Number 13,
Travel, the 18th studio album by Australian trio The Necks, felt something of a discreet interloper; an instrumental record that operated with stealth and imagination, effortlessly transcending genres, from way outside of the mainstream. Travel crept up on a listener rather than imposed itself, much how The Necks have steadily built a cult following over the past four decades. “We started the band not only with no ambition, but almost an anti-ambition,” double bassist Lloyd Swanton told MOJO in 2020. “We’ve only been going 33 years and already we’re getting famous!”