MIDNIGHT SUN

Great, eclectic fusion from Danish band Midnight Sun. The style is influenced by a mix of jazz, blues, and psychedelic music all laid over good ol' rock. Very different from Colosseum's great blend of jazz and blues, but just as good in my opinion.

Talkin' and King of the Sun are good unique songs, and a solid way to start out the album. Where're You Gonna Be and Sippin' Wine are more bluesy while the others let the jazzier side of the band take over. One of the great things about this band is that like Colosseum, they excel at both elements. Also noteworthy is the nearly 15 minute Living on the Hill. Easily the best song here. The songwriting is consistently above-par and each member showcases their talents throughout. This one likely will remain one of my all time favorite fusion songs.

As good as the songwriting is, the musicianship is just as good. First and foremost is Frost's guitar playing. His great psych-blues guitar soloing appears all over the album, and I can't get enough of it. Stief's bass is consistently good, and ranks with some of the much better bassists I've heard. Also worth mentioning is Hasselmann's use of the flute and sax, his aptitude with wind instruments adds a great and necessary component of Midnight Sun's sound.

The only negative point to the album is that the songwriting quality isn't always as consistently good as the musicianship. For example, I'm not a fan of the song Nobody in general. Some of the songs also tend to be ok, but doesn't live up to the promise of the others.

Even so, this album's definitely worth checking out for a number of reasons. Its a great example of a unique style of fusion. It'll also certainly appeal to fans of blues and especially great guitar/bass playing. There's a little something for everyone here.