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Reviews

Jordsjø — Salighet
(Karisma KAR, 2023, CD / LP / DL)

Salighet Cover art

Jordsjø, the Norwegian duo inspired by Olivier Messiaen, Popol Vuh, Anthony Braxton, Scandinavian folklore, jazz, and early British prog, return with their fourth studio album, Salighet, Norwegian for bliss. And a blissful set of seven heavy prog tunes it is. On Salighet Jorsdsjø presents different forms of ecstasy through their musical compositions and lyrics with heavy Hammond organ riffs, acoustic guitar, flute, Mellotron, etc. embodying and expanding on 60s and 70s prog rock, most notably Jethro Tull. Nordic folk music and jazz passages interweave with prog rock creating Jordsjø’s unique sonic brew. The music ebbs and flows through complex passages both delicate and aggressive. Salighet is a brilliant album and showcases the skills of these two musicians — and no wonder since multi-instrumentalist Håkon Oftung is also involved with Tusmørke, Black Magic, and The Chronicles of Father Robin. Highly recommended for symphonic progressive rock fans. Just listen to the opening track “Invokasion” and you will be hooked.

by Henry Schneider, Published 2024-03-17

Jordsjø’s last full album of new material was Pastoralia back in 2021. It saw the band continuing their musical growth, developing a distinctive sound with sophisticated compositions. Salighet continues their journey, further improving on their writing and arranging, and it is a wholly beautiful and satisfying album. “Invokasjon” jumps out of the gate with a blazing organ and fluttering flute backed by powerful bass and drums, rather like a strange hybrid of classic Jethro Tull and Genesis, but with a sound all their own. As the brief piece progresses, we hear acoustic guitars and bass clarinet for a bit of chamber music flavor. The use of bass clarinet in this context is very appealing. “Sankaren” is a vocal track with inventive chords, beautiful vocal harmonies, and some very nice piano, fixing a slight Yes inflection with Norwegian folk music and a hint of the gentler side of early 70s King Crimson. The arrangement is complex and fascinating, changing meter frequently without making it sound overly tricky — everything follows the melodies. There are lots of stellar moments for Hammond organ, clavinet, and Mellotron. The group is a duo of Kristian Frøland (drums, percussion, and vocals) and Håkon Oftung (almost everything else - keyboards, guitar, bass, flute, and vocals), with guests providing clarinets (Mats Lemjan), synthesizer (Ståle Langhelle on one track), and backing vocals (Vilde Mortensen Storesund). Salighet is proof positive that the classic sounds of progressive rock can still sound fresh and exciting, and is an outstanding album all around.

by Jon Davis, Published 2023-12-12

Filed under: New releases, 2023 releases

Related artist(s): Jordsjø

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

 

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