Recommended: Blommor Inomhus – “Herbarium”

There’s an undeniable charisma to the music of Blommor Inomhus.  The trio’s casual delivery gives the impression that their tunes are delivered off the cuff, and with just the tiniest concept of what they should be and where they’d take them.  But, in fact, this trio of trombonist Gustav Davidsson, pianist Karl Magnús Andersson and the soprano sax and vocals of Karolina Almgren is meticulous both in the planning and conceptualization of their music.  The trio’s excellent self-titled debut EP had them bring in a small orchestra of musicians for a recording session in the Gothenburg countryside, and the give-and-take between the trio and large ensemble passages led to all kinds of wonderful conflicts and synchronicities, and spoke to a grand design strategized before the first note was played.  And now their newest, Herbarium, sees the trio building an album of songs around the images and names of flowers found in their herbarium.  And this album, like their debut, has a charm and magnetism difficult not to fall for.

Almgren’s storybook lyricism on “Sakura,” twisting words, emphasizing notes, and changing directions in tone is like a series of switchbacks on a mountain pass leading to a fairytale castle.  And things swing in the opposite direction on “Vild hyasint,” which beats with the heart of a ballad and flows with a motion cool and calm and comforting.  But the trio is at its best when it infuses the music with varying degrees of dissonance, adding some tension to its laid-back nature.  The frantic pulse of piano on “Anemon” marries nicely in contrast to the languorous sighs from trombone and sax.  “Prästkrage” sees a similar approach from piano, but this time around the whole trio goes speeding along.  There’s “Murgröna” with its staggered cadence and boozy melodicism and the way it shows the other side of the mirror to the focused intensity of “Begonia.”

Music that has its own distinct personality, to be sure.  Don’t let this album slip past you.

Your album personnel:  Karolina Almgren (voice, soprano sax), Gustav Davidsson (trombone) and Karl Magnús Andersson (piano).

Released on Havtorn Records.

Listen to more album tracks on the band’s Soundcloud page.

Jazz from the Malmö and Gothenburg, Sweden scenes.

Available at:  Amazon | eMusic

*****

And be sure to check out Blommor Inomhus’s self-titled debut EP.  I still listen to that album every so often despite my busy listening schedule.  More notable, though, is that the album earned the #10 slot on the Best of 2012 list.

You can read about the album here (LINK).

And here’s that Best of 2012 list (LINK).

*****