Suura: Stuve

Belgian guitarist Nicolas Van Belle is the primary composer for the quartet Suura. Since their debut Suura: Luwte (bwaa, 2020) the band has reorganized, released the live album Live at de Koer (1911582 Records DK2, 2022) and released this second studio album. The original group had alto and tenor saxophones, guitar and double bass. The new personnel keeps Van Belle (now also playing bouzouki and singing in addition to guitars) and double bassist Emanuel Van Mieghem, joined by Benjamin Hermans (alto and baritone saxophone, bass clarinet) and Stan Maris (accordion, effects). Their sound is still chamber jazz, but the new instrumentation creates additional textural possibilities, including more harmonic density and enhanced low end.

"Lumro" opens the set with drones and bowed double bass harmonics for an abstract soundscape. "Zeilboot" features arco bass and accordion before adding guitar and baritone saxophone. "Blear I" begins with 12-string guitar and electronic noises, joined by accordion: rhythmic at first, then dissolving into a rubato texture before returning to a slow ostinato pattern. "Drevelnis" features guest Joe Talia on percussion and electronics in a composition that slowly moves through a cycle of chords with varied textures before ending with strummed guitar.

"Adieu" is a rubato exercise for instrumental drones and electronics. Here as elsewhere, Maris' accordion plays a central role in the sound. "Papillon De Nuit" has the dark sound of bass clarinet and pizzicato double bass (with accordion doubling), with the guitar only entering briefly towards the end. That instrumentation continues into "Fowldra." "Taleom" concludes the album with a kind of slow march led by guitar, bass and accordion; but the texture becomes increasingly dominated by electronic sounds. This album has a bit less folk influence (and a bit less guitar) than the group's debut, but it is definitely coming from the same place. The new instrumentation takes the sound to a new level.