The masterful sound design of Vert's third Sonig album creaks and splutters, rumbles and rocks, breaks and blows from all sides and every angle. Despite complexity, British exile and resident of Cologne Adam Butler grooves with the best of them. Small Pieces Loosely Joined comprises both flirty come-ons in pop's direction and short sketches, apropos of its title. Using accordion, Rhodes, lots of piano, and a dense tissue of electronica, the tracks approach musical themes, toy with them, view them from different angles, and then move on to new pastures. The listener is by no means swept away in a maelstrom of sonic events, but rather engaged by the pace of Small Pieces Loosely Joined. You simply can't not listen. Vert conjures up tension and dissolves it by turns in a wonderfully charming, articulate and unpredictable manner. This string of loosely, even randomly connected musical clippings contains a clear thread of musical rigor, embedded deep down in the complex arrangements, traceable throughout the entire album
