WOODLANDS

Listening to this second album by the Finnish six piece band Mist Season, I got more and more excited about their music. Most of the compositions are swinging with lots of great soli on guitar, keyboards and woodwind instruments (mostly trumpet but also saxophone and clarinet), the interplay is amazing and the rhythm-section sounds very powerful and dynamic! In comparison with their debut CD, this successor sounds a bit more adventurous and surprising like Dance of the Miststress (wonderful contrast between folky flute and accordion and rocky electric guitar), Flowers of Asia (a mellow piece with sitar and trumpet) and Garden of Beruwela (a captivating blend of tablas, soaring keyboards and jazzy guitar and piano). The final track Tears of Woodland is my highlight: first a beautiful part with tender acoustic guitar and piano, then gradually a more lush sound with slow synthesizer flights and dynamic drumming and in the end a swinging rhythm with a powerful saxophone - and fiery electric guitar solo. If you like jazz, jazzrock and or fusion, check out this outstanding new Finnish band!