A force to be reckoned with, Thao Nguyen commands ears with declarative rhythm and light vocals. She talks of trauma and reclaiming with bird like song. Thao met her drummer, Willis Thompson, while studying at the College of William & Mary in Virginia. They met another future member, Adam Thomas, at one of his solo jazz performances. Last but not least, Frank Stewart, of the bands Durian and Verbal, would lend his talents as lead guitarist. The album we’ll be listening to today is their fourth, “Man Alive,” which talks a lot about absentee fathers and the whirlwind of emotions that comes with their deaths. Afterwards, we’ll get a taste of their 2021 album, Temple.