snobb Bill Frisell's solo albums for some years are competent,but quite predictable. Great musician found his own sound of semi-acoustic relaxed mid tempo fusion,heavily based on Americana.Usually if you liked it once you will like his every next album, they are so different from others (but so similar between each other).

The Intercontinentals are quite different album for Frisell - he's seriously uses world music there. But the difference is again ob very his own manner:album is very aerial,relaxed mid-tempo fusion again,even with some dose of Americana almost in every song. The main difference is his international band plays music,rooted in African,Eastern or South European tradition (heavily mixing it with so well known Frisell.

It's interesting,that even if the difference between The Intercontinentals and many other more classic Frisell's albums are quite obvious, you will need some listening just to get it. The main reason is possibly that so specific Frisell's musical techniques,when even not musical material is matter. Working with different musical material Frisell put his signature on final result,you can't make a mistake - it's Frisell's music first of all.Even if you will hear some funk or Brazilian vocals on one or another composition.

I believe Bill's journey to world music is really positive change - his music became too predictable last years,he really needed some new ideas and sounds. Happily,new material (of unusual for him origin) didn't change his music radically, just added some new spices in old good dish.