TAISTELU PAHOJA KELLOJA VASTAAN

There's not much to be added to the excellent - and very warm - review by Eetu, who's also responsible of the artist biography. I had ordered this Finnish debut to the library (that I work in) years ago but haven't listened to it before now. Jazz is the main category in which this is eventually placed in libraries, but the acoustically oriented, very original and boundary-free music resembles also chamber music with some medieval flavour here and there. Avant-Prog is a good choice, but it's nevertheless quite easy music to get into, thanks to the light and joyful atmosphere. I agree with Eetu that children might enjoy it too. Most of it would work well as a soundtrack for some animation emphasized on non- verbal storytelling instead of dialogue. The main instruments are saxophones, cello, keyboards and acoustic bass. Also female voice is used as an instrument, but to some extent there are minor sections for worded vocals (for both sexes). Now that I think of it, the band's name (= Enfant terrible) and slightly disturbing cover art, together with the RIO/Avant subgenre, can raise some unjustified prejudice.

From the prog genre one might mention bands such as MANEIGE, FLAIRCK and MALICORNE that have soundwise some faint similarities. One track ends with a noisy laughter - an association to Frankie Goes To Hollywood's 'Welcome to the Pleasure Dome' finale which otherwise is naturally as far from this music as it can be! The 8th track (= Butterfly in Autumn Frost) is the calmest one, sorrowful as Eetu puts it. I got some associations towards serene, modern chamber jazz of the ECM label.

Perhaps the light naivety (with vocalise in unisono) is too present throughout the album. A nice acquaintance anyway, and I'll hopefully manage to listen to their second album soon. 3½ stars.