Exposé print issues (1993-2011)
Soft Ffog — Focus
(Karisma Is It Jazz? KAR, 2025, CD / LP / DL)
by Jon Davis, Published 2025-07-10
Soft Ffog’s self-titled debut garnered comparisons to King Crimson, Terje Rypdal, Deep Purple, Pat Metheny, and Frank Zappa, and their second album is in the same vein. To that list I might add Camel — there are times on Focus that strike me as Moonmadness with jazzier guitar and keyboards — and of course Focus. (These comparisons are fairly obvious given the album title and the fact that one track is called “Camel.”) But all of those comparisons don’t really do the album justice. The four tracks are all outstanding and full of great playing from all four members: Tom Hasslan (guitar), Axel Skalstad (drums), Trond Frønes (bass), and Vegard Lien Bjerkan (keyboards). “Pocus” features a number of contrasting sections, one of which is fast and funky in the Mahavishnu tradition. Hasslan’s guitar is often in a leading role, and he wrote all the music. His playing is a fascinating blend of rapid lines, expressive tones, and unexpected notes — far beyond mere shredding, with sophisticated scales and chords. On the title track, he pays tribute to Jan Akkerman as well, with some parts that would have sounded at home on Focus 3. Bjerkan is great on the keyboards, with electric piano and synth sounds tailored to each tune. And what a killer rhythm section! Skalstad and Frønes kick butt all the way through these far-from-simple tunes. For the final (and longest) track, “Oh Jimi,” Bjerkan breaks out the organ and Clavinet for a high-energy shuffle, and Hasslan delves into a bluesier mood. Focus is one of the best recent examples of electric jazz-rock, hitting a perfect balance of technique and nuance combined with really fine compositions.
Filed under: New releases, 2025 releases
Related artist(s): Soft Ffog
More info
http://softffog.bandcamp.com/album/focus
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