Fire! Orchestra - Arrival
By Anthony Camplone
| Label: | Rune Grammofon – RLP3205 |
|---|---|
| Format: | 2 × Vinyl, LP, Album, Stereo |
| Country: | Norway |
| Released: | 24 May 2019 |
| Genre: | Jazz |
| Style: | Free Jazz, Avant-garde Jazz |
Sweden’s Mats Gustafsson and crew are back with this splendid release from last year. This is a more melodic affair with the vocals of Mariam Wallentin and Sofia Jernberg up front and clear. They really shine on this album as the songs seem to meld around their beautiful vocal style. Some of the melodies and harmonies remind me of the Dirty Projectors’ Amber Coffmann and Angel Deradoorian from their album, Bitter Orca.
The haunting track Crystal Fire is the standout track from first LP. Its dark, but sweet nature underpins the angelic female vocals. The atmospheric strings seem to float and carry the song.
The free jazz chaos which was quite present on past albums only seems to make itself known as interludes between the melodic songs. The interplay between Gustafsson’s baritone sax and bass player Johan Berthling is tight. The basslines underpin most tracks with hypnotic rhythms and are the bedrock of each track, slow and brooding but with a groove that holds everything together. The last track At Last I Am Free has a Portishead vibe which is a great way to finish this splendid album.
This album is one of my favorites from last year.
Mastered at Calyx in Berlin and pressed at Optimal in Germany.