Tin Hat

Tin Hat Trio dropped a word from its name and added extra musicians to record its latest, which plays like a sad film score, though it’s actually inspired by the work of the late Jewish-Polish writer Bruno Schulz. Tin Hat long has been known for its ability to blend genres without being beholden to the idea of genre. Sad Machinery incorporates flourishes of klezmer, classical, gypsy jazz and creepy Americana (some of the album’s only lyrics are an eerie, minor-key rendering of “Daisy, Daisy”). The title comes from a Schultz story in which he argues that the impetus for the best art is the dark, the earth, the soil. And so Tin hat’s trumpet, clarinet and violin lead the way, each instrument deftly navigating its way around the band’s nimble melodies as they spring up from the dirt.