Reuniting under the auspices of proven musical chemistry and a shared sense of whimsy, acoustic guitar hero [wimpLink artistId="2585"]Leo Kottke[/wimpLink] and [wimpLink artistId="3636621"]Phish[/wimpLink] bassist [wimpLink artistId="20932941"]Mike Gordon[/wimpLink] offer up Noon, their third outing as a duo. While [wimpLink artistId="20932941"]Gordon[/wimpLink] has remained active as ever with [wimpLink artistId="3636621"]Phish[/wimpLink] business and a pleasing assortment of solo and side projects, [wimpLink artistId="2585"]Kottke[/wimpLink] all but disappeared after 2005's [wimpLink albumId="1728698"]Sixty Six Steps[/wimpLink], the pair's previous collaboration, and didn't issue any music for 15 years. Like their two previous albums, 2020's Noon is laced with complex musical figures, offbeat lyrics, and a spring-like funkiness, though it also takes more ruminative turns, thanks in part to the existential gravity of some of [wimpLink artistId="2585"]Kottke[/wimpLink]'s songwriting contributions. The playing, of course, is spectacular throughout, as befitting these two instrumental giants; [wimpLink artistId="2585"]Kottke[/wimpLink]'s distinctive picking patterns sound as bold as ever and [wimpLink artistId="20932941"]Gordon[/wimpLink] weaves them together with his own jaunty dexterity. Vocals are present on all but two of the 11 cuts, which are dotted with a pair of oddball covers: [wimpLink artistId="2585"]Kottke[/wimpLink]'s dark-hued reading of [wimpLink artistId="33258314"]the Byrds[/wimpLink]' "Eight Miles High" is a highlight, though [wimpLink artistId="20932941"]Gordon[/wimpLink]'s breezy folk-funk take on [wimpLink artistId="11004499"]Prince[/wimpLink]'s "Alphabet Street" never quite gets off the ground. The instrumental tracks, "Flat Top" and "Ants," are wonderfully virtuosic performances imbued with warmth and drama in equal measure. [wimpLink artistId="2585"]Kottke[/wimpLink]'s dexterous meditation, "Noon to Noon," wears its melancholy like brittle armor while [wimpLink artistId="20932941"]Gordon[/wimpLink] keeps things lighter, as on eccentric groovers "I Am Random" and "How Many People Are You." For the most part, the set is casual and intimate with few overdubs and the addition of drummer Jon Fishman (also of [wimpLink artistId="3636621"]Phish[/wimpLink]) on just a handful of tracks. Not all of the writing is stellar, but Noon's deficits are generally outweighed by the duo's sense of camaraderie and musicianship, making for a strong third outing and a welcome return for [wimpLink artistId="2585"]Kottke[/wimpLink], in particular. ~ Timothy Monger