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Reviews

Jordsjø — Nattfiolen
(Karisma KAR176, 2019, CD / LP / DL)

by Jon Davis, Published 2019-07-17

Nattfiolen Cover art

With Nattfiolen, Jordsjø proves that their debut album was no fluke. This duo is indeed one of the top progressive rock bands in the world today. Looking at all the qualities that make the best progressive rock appealing, Nattfiolen has them in abundance. Of course the classic keyboard sounds are in the mix, along with electric and acoustic guitars, and there’s some great flute work as well. Just the other day, I listened to a track from Jordsjø’s second EP, and I was immediately struck by how simple it sounded compared to the new material. These guys just keep getting better and better. Their style is an appealing blend of many references. At times I’m reminded of Strawbs around the time of Grave New World (with smoother sounding vocals) combined with the Jethro Tull of Minstrel in the Gallery, with a little Yes (The Yes Album or Fragile), Camel (Mirage or Moonmadness), and maybe Pink Floyd (Meddle). Occasional touches of Focus and Änglagård also pop up. But really, Jordsjø has its own thing, and it’s very fine indeed. The tunes are imaginative and well played, with special notice going to the excellent acoustic guitar passages, which seamlessly fuse classical and folk styles. I can’t really imagine any fan of the progressive giants of the 70s not liking Nattfiolen — it’s just so well done on every level, melodic enough to please the symphonic fan but complex enough to appeal to those like me who lean towards the avant-prog side.

Filed under: New releases, 2019 releases

Related artist(s): Jordsjø

More info
http://jordsjo.bandcamp.com/album/nattfiolen

 

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