Jubilee Offer: Patriotic Classics for £2.50 |
Frequently Bought Together
Product details
|
Listen to Samples and Buy MP3s
|
Product Description
Review
Along with free pencils in furniture shops, E.S.T. are surely one of Sweden's greatest gifts to the globe. Their Radiohead meets Keith Jarrett soundworld and busy touring schedule - including recent US dates with k.d Lang -have made them what in these times may seem like an oxymoron; a credible crossover act.
But if second albums are traditionally difficult, what does that make a ninth one, especially following on the heels of top-drawer records like Goodbye Susie Soho (2000) and Strange Place For Snow (2002)? Happily, E.S.T. seem to be evolving rather than stagnating. Gone are the more downhome funk tunes, country folk and even the borderline euro-pop of their big hit "Dodge The Dodo". In its place is a more concentrated sound, contemplative and reflective - music for rainy car journeys.
With their former Jarrett-isms less prominent,E.S.T. now sound like no one other than themselves. On the title track the classical harmonies of Svensson's piano mesh with Dan Berglund's versatile bass - now playing roots, now adding drone textures, now finding the tune on harmonics - in a way unlike anyone else. If at points some of the good humour of earlier albums is missing, we gain darkly atmospheric moments such as Magnus Ostrom's inclement drumming like a distant thunderstorm on "In The Tale Of Her Eye". The ecstatic soloing of previous outings remains but this time feels more intense than joyous. Even the Brazilian influenced track "The Well-Wisher" seems to have had the sunlight extracted.
If you're new to e.s.t, perhaps a better place to start would be one of their lighter previous albums. If you're already a fellow traveller though, this more subdued installment comes highly recommended. --Russell Finch
Find more music at the BBC This link will take you off Amazon in a new window
Album Description
Tags Customers Associate with This Product(What's this?)Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
|
Customer Reviews
"Viaticum" picks up where their last album, "Seven Days of Falling" left off. It's a brilliant, if slightly more melancholic and intriguing affair than its predecessor, and once again shows EST flirting with different genres and displaying a degree of musicianship that is little short of breathtaking. It's an amazing ride, full of atmosphere and subtlety, from the gentle lightness of "Tide of Trepidation" through the stirring repetition of "The Unstable Table and the Infamous Fable" and the more uplifting spirit and energy of "a Picture of Doris Travelling with Boris" (the song titles are as creative as the music). The whole album feels like a coherent "whole", one song blending effortlessly into the next.
Live these guys are a revelation, full of passion and energy, mixing songs, ideas and styles and showing how much is possible with just a standard jazz trio. They're pushing the boundaries of modern jazz and - justifiably - are taking a lot of fans with them. They've also won more awards than you can shake a stick at. In this case, DO believe the hype. EST are a sensation.
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Listmania!
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
- Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
