VEMOOD: CLEANING THE MIRROR, VOLUME 1

Towards the end of 2016 I was contacted by guitarist Peter Pedersen, who asked if I would be interested in hearing the latest album from his band, who combine psychedelia with progressive rock. Well, it sounded interesting, so of course I said yes. What I didn't expect was a live album that it many ways sounds as if it has far more in common with the 1967-1970 period than anything that was being played and produced nearly fifty years later. 'Vemood: Cleaning The Mirror Volume 1' has at its heart rough and raw rich sounds that are so broad that I felt that the notes coming out of the speaker are almost visible and that by just grabbing one I would be lifted up to the ceiling, such is their weight.

In many ways, the bands I kept thinking of were Cream and especially Blodwyn Pig, but more in approach as opposed to musical style, which owes far more to the likes of Jefferson Airplane. There is a Hammond B3 at the very heart of the band, and then three guitarists, a rhythm section and a saxophonist/flautist combining to make musical sense of what is going on. There are times when it feels a little basic, but it is played with such heart and soul that the listener just gets caught up in the passion and feeling of the whole thing. There is room for everyone to take their own solos, and the others happily take a back seat and provide the perfect accompaniment, so that in some ways it is quite jazzlike in its nature. Not as overtly heavy as one might expect from different guitarists being involved, and notes are often picked as opposed to heavyweight chords, but there is such a density and intensity to the work that it just doesn't need it. Overall this is a superb work.

Swedish project POCKET SIZE is the creative vehicle of composer and musician Peter Pedersen, a venture that started out back in 2010 and with one single and three full length albums to it's name so far. "Vemood" is the most recent of these, and was released in 2016 through Millhill Productions, which I gather is the band's own imprint.

Pocket Size is probably what one may describe as an eclectic progressive rock band. They use elements from heavy prog, jazzrock and psychedelic rock as main parts of their instrumental and, possibly, partially improvised, take on what at least some would describe as art rock. A live instrumental album this one, where the band gets to showcase their abilities as a band unit, in a good and captivating manner. A CD well worth to check out if 70's style, eclectic instrumental progressive rock is something that sounds like a good thing to you.