Emil Brandqvist Trio: Poems For Travellers

With over 50 million streams across global digital platforms, the Emil Brandqvist Trio has established itself as one of the most compelling trios in Europe. The Scandinavian band's previous release, Layers of Life (Skip Records, 2023), demonstrated the trio's rising international appeal, securing the No. 2 position on the German jazz charts and setting the stage for their follow-up, Poems for Travellers.

This is the trio's seventh album, and throughout their journey, the line-up has remained unchanged, occasionally featuring guest musicians as needed. However, for this release, they chose a different approach, keeping the studio to themselves and focusing entirely on their own output. Swedish drummer Brandqvist takes the lead as the primary composer, though Finnish pianist Tuomas Turunen and Swedish bassist Max Thornberg also make significant writing contributions.

The band creates atmospheric compositions that craft a moving soundscape, rich in beautiful melodies, intricate arrangements and an inventive rhythmic foundation, all delivered with exceptional skill and finesse. The album opens with "A Visit to Reality," where crisp drums set the tone and pulsing bass and fluid piano runs blend seamlessly to create an air of mystery. Brandqvist's drumming is powerful yet restrained, providing the perfect balance of drive and support to Turunen's sweet melodic piano lines without ever coming close to overpowering.

Brandqvist's versatility shines in slower, more introspective pieces as well. His composition "Endless like the Sea" features delicate brushwork that complements the fine interplay between bass and piano. His brushes are also featured on another ballad, the gently unfolding "Evening Land," composed by Thornberg.

The emotional "Up in the Sky" is the type of music to fall headfirst into. allowing it to be the soundtrack to take you where it will. Thornberg's bass, arco and plucked, adds further embellishment to Turunen's achingly beautiful piano melody. Turunen contributes two of his own compositions: the passionate "Shades of Leaving" moves from fast single notes to a melody with terrific interplay with Thornberg, while "Run Away" allows him space to improvise.

There is a strong classical music influence, particularly notable in "Interlude No. 2" which is a solo piece for Turunen. The travel theme of the title is reflected in "Destination Unknown," the upbeat rhythms of "Departure" and the stately ebb and flow of the melancholy "Final Walk." All the compositions interweave so naturally that the entire recording can be experienced as a suite of connected pieces sharing a common theme.

The interplay between the trio members is refined and borne out of years of listening and reacting to each other, fully supporting their decision for this to be a trio-only recording. Their compositions balance emotion and melodic structure to create a range of moods. There is an air of restraint in their performances, but their shared desire to create music of often stirring beauty is evident. Over the last decade, the trio has plotted a trajectory, with each release revealing further variation and exploration than the one before, taking them from strength to strength. Multiple plays reveal new intricate layers, each time providing a rewarding atmospheric and cinematic soundscape.