Jord Sessions
Karisma, 2022
8/10
An Oslo, Norway outfit who take influence from old horror movies, ‘70s German synth sounds, Swedish prog and Norway’s nature, Jordsjø consists of Håkon Oftung (vocals, flute, guitars, keys) and Kristian Frøland (drums, percussion), who put a new mix on these old songs and even inject some new instrumentation on a couple, too, as well as including other songs from the 2016 session.
“Over Vidda” opens the listen with dreamy flute, where plenty of atmosphere is present, and “Abstraksjoner fra et Dunkelt Kammer” follows with a precisely textured and flowing display of melodic and nostalgic prog-rock.
“I Momos Tradard” lands in the middle and displays a very pretty and cinematic vision of intimacy and warmth, while “La me forsvinne” recruits much ambience thanks to the manipulated guitar and electronic, spacey synth.
Arriving near the end, “Jord II” benefits much from playful guitar and charming keys as the album highlight builds into a sweeping, thicker presence of crunchiness, and “Nattfiolen Suite” exits the listen with firm keys, crashing drums and meticulous guitar playing in the expansive and diverse finish.
There’s a healthy amount of ‘70s influences present here, and the very skilled song craft adopts both retro and current ideas that mesh prog, folk, electronica and even hard rock into a very interesting formula.
Travels well with: Oak- The Quiet Rebellion Of Compromise; Wizrd- Seasons