Kronos Quartet

With a repertoire verging on 600 pieces, Kronos Quartet has refined its reputation as a crossover group that hops eagerly among multiple genres: from kitsch mariachi numbers and Bollywood scores to left-field minimalism. The San Francisco four-piece originally made a name for itself performing the works of 20th-century masters such as Bartók and Shostakovich before casting its net far and wide to include Jimi Hendrix and Ornette Coleman. Eventually, KQ collaborated with artists as diverse as Joan Armatrading, Terry Riley, Nine Inch Nails and Allen Ginsberg.

The group’s 40th studio LP, Floodplain, pools new works written by contemporary composers from Palestine and Serbia; a selection of traditional pieces from Lebanon, Turkey and Iran; classical music from Azerbaijan and India; and popular music from 1940s Egypt and 1970s Iraq. It’s a mammoth undertaking, but KQ cobbles pieces from nine nations and multiple eras into a cohesive and relevant whole.

Floodplain’s title implies growth after catastrophe, and suitably, the record offers a fertile document of cultures whose conflicts and divisions, for many Westerners, have overshadowed their abundant musical legacies. The ever-pliant and prolific group’s well-chosen, enjoyable collection of Middle Eastern melodies piques our curiosity about the songs’ musical heritage. Tracks such as “Getme, Getme” and “Oh Mother, the Handsome Man Tortures Me” are performed with mesmerizing dexterity, yet every single piece explodes with unrelenting vitality. Even less hectic interludes—the traditional Iranian “Lullaby” and the melancholic “Wa Habibi”—are charged and gripping. The point becomes abundantly clear: We’re left hungering for more music from the region.—Mia Clarke

See more Album reviews