Retro prog
Latest release: Salighet (2023). To be released in October.
---UMR notes
Pastoralia (2021)
Jordsjø (Jordsjo if doing a quick search in Anglais) is one of only a handful of contemporary bands I keep up with real time. Their brand of mysterious and murky early 70s styled progressive rock is the kind of music I never fail to enjoy. Pastoralia. What a perfect title to describe their music in general. Opener 'Prolog' is interesting, as it didn't march in lockstep with what is expected. In fact, it starts off as maybe a jazz fusion album would. Then the familiar symphonic prog sounds of Jordsjø jump in. Then it ends with some bass clarinet chamber styled avant prog. All fine musical styles, but not sure I want that with my Jordsjø. Like going to a Thai restaurant and they're introducing their "new spaghetti and meatballs!". I love Italian food. But not when I'm in the mood for Thai.
I worry too much, because after this, Jordsjø gets down to the serious business of creating a retro prog classic. My fave has to be the 3 part closer 'Jord' (shocker that). There are parts - like when the Norwegian narration pops in - that even conjure up the spirit of Krautrock. I'm reading some reviews that are expressing disappointment overall. That happens often when a band has a defined sound and then veers away from it. But I really don't think they've gone off the reservation here. Also reading comparisons to Gryphon, but honestly I never once thought of them in my back to back listens. There's a bit of Renaissance Faire here and there, but it blends nicely with the thick and wedgy early 70s analog electric sounds the genre calls for. For my tastes, Jordsjø have come up with another classic. A work that will be a contender for album of the year when it's all said and done. Definitely.
Nattfiolen (2019)
Let's make it 3 years in a row. In 2017 Wobbler's From Silence to Somewhere was my choice for album of the year. I don't think it will be topped, but one never knows as obscure albums trickle in all the time. Last year we rambled on about All Traps on Earth, in effect the 4th Anglagard album, and subsequently named it album of the year for 2018. It's definitely beatable, but at this time, no challengers have emerged. And now Jordsjo follows the same path with their 4th album Nattfiolen. No point in making the same statements as I have on the prior 2. We are talking old school, dyed-in-the-wool symphonic prog of the 1973 variety with no nods to modern instrumentation. Vintage is as vintage gets. Jordsjo isn't quite as strong as All Traps on Earth, but it's so difficult not to love this style of music, no matter who's performing it. But then again, I was always the top Sinkadus apologist.
This is Jordsjo's finest hour to date, and a very promising direction. For all other bands: It's OK if we have more than one album a year like this. Really.
2/12/18 (new entry); 7/21/19; 5/30/20; 5/9/21
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