Recommended: Brigaden – “Om Jesus, Lill, Alberto och Vara Foraldrar”

 

It’s nice to see a new recording from the Swedish outfit Brigaden.  Their debut Om Alberto Och Nagra Andra Gubbar made a huge statement with their potent mix of modern jazz, post-rock and Spanish folk and a penchant for delivering it with strong, plainly-spoken melodies and a Big Sound full of enthusiasm and bombast.  Their newest, the 2015 release Om Jesus, Lill, Alberto och Vara Foraldrar, stakes out turf in similar territory, while nicely dialing things back at times and letting their melodic talents patiently develop and shine.

“Jesus” fully embraces the band’s method of letting rapturous melodies ride the crests of big waves of big sounds, and “Alberto V” shows that their approach is equally effective when the melody is a thick plume of smoke.  And tracks like “Garderoben” illustrate their ability to deftly manipulate the ebb and flow of intensity as a vehicle for accentuating their rich lyricism.

“The Sleepover Trauma” lets its harmonies do the talking, and that beautiful melody is carried along on a tempo that keeps to a cant.  That it doesn’t give the impression of needing to get anywhere in a hurry really allow the melody to breathe.  It’s not unlike “Serenad,” which pulses softly as an undercurrent to gently flowing melodic lines.

Just a real enjoyable follow-up to their debut.  Hopefully there’ll be more to come.

Your album personnel: Ellen Pettersson (trumpet), Emil Nerstrand (tenor & alto saxes, keyboard, clarinet), Olle Vikström (baritone sax, flute), Björn Lindberg (bass), Tim Bjuhr (drums), Anton Jansson (nylon string guitar, piano, synth, percussion) and guests: Clara Bjerhag (violin), Nicole Hogstrand (cello) and Måns Wikenmo (synth, percussion).

Released on Havtorn Records.

Listen to more of the album on the artist’s Soundcloud page.

Jazz from the Malmö, Sweden scene.

Available at:  Amazon

Brigaden - "Om Alberto Och Nagra Andra Gubbar"Also, be sure to check out Brigaden’s debut album Om Alberto Och Nagra Andra Gubbar, which received the #30 slot on this site’s Best of 2014 list.

Read more here-> (LINK).

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