Bly De Blyant: Hindsight Bias

This genre-leaping international trio is fronted by Norwegian drummer Øyvind Skarbø, and features Icelandic guitarist Hilmar Jensson (TYFT, Jim Black's AlasNoAxis) and Brooklyn-based multi-instrumentalist Shahzad Ismaily (Marc Ribot, John Zorn). With its second album, the trio's enterprising electro-organic mix proffers a sense of adventure via these compact and disparate pieces, underscored by memorable themes, which is a recurring factor that seeds a delightfully prismatic program.

The musicians gradually construct a mid-tempo Indie-rocker with an appealing hook on "Jiddu," as Jensson frames the intriguing motif atop Ismaily's burgeoning organ treatments. But the guitarist amps it up with feisty, sustain driven leads amid electronics effects and dusky textures. Here and in other regions of sound, Skarbø's pumping backbeats generate a firm bedrock for hazy organ parts, lightly executed funk grooves and other movements that do not always adhere to the straight and narrow. For example, on "Laura" Ismaily's sweeping jazz choruses and eerie Moog synth lines spawn an endearing subplot, but he moves into the upper-register carving out a quaint melody that would seem conducive for a cinematic production.

Variety is an integral element of the band's modus operandi as they forge off-kilter jazz rock patterns, ambient electronic soundscapes and bustling storylines along with experimental bridge sections. Moreover, eminent Norwegian Saxophonist Kjetil Møster adds an avant-garde jazz touch to "Bunker Hill," augmented by Skarbø's swooshing cymbals hits and other deviations from the norm.

This presentation is also released on LP, which is probably why Hubro Records keeps the length around the 30-minute mark, and by not incurring increased costs for consumers, namely due to selling 2-LP packages. Regardless, each song is a gem and as a whole, the musicians hit the mark without stuffing any filler material or extended jams into the grand schema.