Faun and a Pan Flute

Though experimental may be the quickest catchall word that comes to mind when describing Faun and a Pan Flute, the multi-talented nine-piece has evolved beyond its experimental roots. Last year’s sprawling self-titled LP showcased a virtually unclassifiable, new musical vocabulary. The individual strengths of the group’s members ebb and flow, giving each song its own tonal combinations where change is the only constant. Every song is composed with careful precision, but the unpredictability of the group’s songwriting adds a fluidity uncharacteristic of contemporary classical music. With any of its debut album’s four numbers, “John,” “Linda,” “Augur,” and “Dave,” Faun glides from swells of noise to modal motifs to abstract textures. The collective’s true strength lies in how nine musicians with such distinct styles find a unifying form instead of devolving into a battle of conflicting egos. Even when the group descends into an amorphous mass of sound, every second is unmistakably Faun.