Maridalen: Bortenfor

Maridalen's eponymous 2021 debut for Jazzland Recordings was quite the breakout success. Earning strong coverage across the British music press, it proved that sometimes the media gods are with you. A host of other fine Norwegian albums made less impact back then, but Maridalen look determined to seize the moment. And, with their follow-up record Bortenfor, they have the ultra-cool audacity to go one better this time.

The title translates as 'beyond, or going past' in terms of a physical place. It offers a sense that Maridalen are moving on from the valley which inspired their name, perhaps exploring what lies outside of one's reach and mind too. Bortenfor is also the name of an Oslo riverside bar, known for its intimate atmosphere and exciting cocktails. (The group was planning its album release concert there). Intimate atmospheres feel like common ground for Maridalen, such are the amorous murmurs of this trio's music. Romantic modernism with a Nordic frisson? We have it right here. What cool riverside bar could refuse them?

Actually, the band went back to church when recording Bortenfor, as they did for their previous album. Sacred spaces seem to suit the spacious comfort of their double bass, trumpet and saxophone set-up. The flirtatious sparring between the brass instruments is a delight, with neither trying to be more persuasive than the other. This works well on "På nye eventyr," with its jovial main melody over a thumb-clicking backdrop and thumping bass tones. The bass turns to solemn bowing on "Månesykkel" amid staccato brass, before piano jabs add a beguiling tension to "Der hvor vi ikke kunne gå."

Inside the voguish context drawn up by Maridalen, we might find echoes of sax maestro Lars Gullin and pianist Jan Johansson, who both called on Swedish folk traditions within the settings of bebop and improv respectively. "Sandermosen" with its mythic rhythms and minimalist bounce is just one example of this crossover. As the musicians rasp into their mouthpieces, melodic threads grab hold of the listener in every phrase. It all sounds effortless yet is clearly driven by some innate perfectionism. The dreamy "Dørstokken" could relax away our troubles, whilst "I Havn" uses sweet swoops of pedal steel for sincerity and depth. "Bilde fra en film" takes a bluer turn though, with noir-hued scrapings and murky Chandler-esque brass.

Breakneck tempos are never given the slightest space by Maridalen. Theirs is a sound made for close relationships to grow even closer, on a perfumed night in that Oslo riverside bar.

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