Norway has really become a go-to country for progressive rock, with plenty of new bands emerging since the mid-2000s. It has been exciting to hear how different many of them are, as rather than channeling the same influences there have been a wide range of stylistic elements that can offer more accessible hooks or complex arrangements. This brings us to Jordsjø, a duo from Oslo that has been steadily releasing material since 2015. Their take on prog emphasizes symphonic and folk elements, bringing an earthier and warm sound rather than the spacey and fantastical side of the genre, and this has been taken even further on their latest effort Pastoralia. It’s a free-flowing effort that heads in many different directions, ensuring that listeners will likely need a few times through to take everything in.
This was my first exposure to Jordsjø and based on what I’ve read it sounds like this wasn’t the easiest entry point compared to 2019’s Nattfiolen. The duo has only gotten more complex, and while there are some sections that have some hooks that stand out in my head the material here doesn’t tend to stay in one place for too long. But what a ride it is, as the more abstract and free flowing songwriting throughout Pastoralia results in some interesting soundscapes. Jordsjø has a noticeable earthy and warmer tonality to their prog, with the flute and other instrumentals adding a folk slant that makes it feel like you’re adventuring through a vast forest somewhere in Norway and taking in all the sights. What stands out to me about this material is how well it balances the softer moments with soaring peaks, but it does so in an unpredictable fashion and doesn’t use the expected methodical build-ups. Instead, mellow and mystical sounding melodies explode outwards into a flurry of drums and guitars that have a jazz feel to their construction. This works wonderfully for about three quarters of the album, as the ebb and flow of the instrumentation keeps you intrigued, but I did find that the last song felt too random and lacked impact. Considering that it’s the longest track on the album at almost eleven minutes this does hurt the material a bit as it keeps it from ending as strong as it begins, yet I’ve still found myself returning to the rest of Pastoralia regularly.
You might be wondering if Jordsjø is purely instrumental, given the wide range of instruments used and emphasis on arrangements that change from one minute to the next. There are vocals throughout Pastoralia, though they aren’t the dominant element and are a bit sparser when compared to other Norwegian prog rock bands like Wobbler. Instead, the singing often comes through like an extension of the instrumentals, adding some additional melody and channeling more of the folk side of the sound. Given that everything is in Norwegian I can’t tell you what’s being sung, but it does add to the mystique of the material and suits what the duo is going for throughout the album.
Jordsjø captures what I like about progressive rock, which is that sense of adventure and discovering new elements with each listen. With the lean towards folk and even some jazz elements, this album is going to take a bit of time to get a proper feel for as it doesn’t feel quite as accessible for those that aren’t as versed on prog. But even though not all the experiments come together in a truly fluid and memorable fashion, the fact that I’ve found myself coming back to seven of the eight songs again and again still makes this material worth your time. Pastoralia is available from Karisma Records.
-Review by Chris Dahlberg
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