KADONNUT HÄVIÄMÄTTÖMIIN

EXCELLENT JAZZ-ROCK/FUSION FROM FINLAND! This one's a giant leap from Bluesion. There's no shortage of good material - the album lasts over an hour, no weak tracks - , or feelings of things worked out only halfway. Actually the recordings took place in over a year's time, and there's a solid band beihind the music unlike on Bluesion album. Now I'm writing unusually track by track:

The opening instrumental is tight fusion, not very melodic, and with a bigger role for an electric guitar of Seppo Tyni. 2. (title translated "A Forest in the Middle of the Ocean") has long, improvisatory piano intro before a fusion composition reminding of Pekka Pohjola - Gustavson's former bandmate in WIGWAM. 'You My Brother' introduces vocals but it starts with some sound effects of a sea accident. (In the leaflet reads: "I wish to remark this record has not has not been made to remind or inspire visions of the accident in the Baltic". The Estonia disaster had occured back then.) The song is bluesy, the lyrics bitter.

The fourth track is my favourite: 'Rakkautta rakasta' ("Love the love") is happy, optimistic and uplifting. The lyrics are perhaps naively spiritual, but they are a perfect match to the gorgeous music. The melodies are fantastic. Also 'Tuomion humussa' ("In the Haze of doom") has vocals, but instead of singing it's hectically spoken words about everything going wrong, with hectic drumming; only towards the end there come other instruments such as marimba. Dark humour which works quite well as the track remains short enough. The instrumental sixth track is one of the musical highlights with excellent band play. The atmosphere is laid-back and Jukka's bright synths and piano take the lead. BRAND X comes to mind a bit.

'Kontrasteja' ("Contrasts") is the longest one (9:12) and the most progressive. Featuring the guest guitarist Pekka Rechardt (of Wigwam after Gustavson's departure) it sounds a bit like Scandinavian ECM jazz - e.g. Terje Rypdal - or Pekka Pohjola. There are nice vibraphones and the last few minutes approach minimalism of Philip Glass, I think. 'Alla tähden alakulon' ("Under melancholy star") starts with a groovy, laid-back intro and then evolves slowly into a sad, beautifully emotional song with very elegant playing. The instrumental outro is soft syths à la 'Alchemy of the Heart' by Tangerine Dream. The closing track ("In this crazy world") is the shortest one. First, sounds of a seashore, then very low-key spoken words soaking with pessimism but with a ray of light in the end: "...but suddenly everything changed: my father brought me a peeled apple".

This album only gets better with repeated listenings. It has wide palette and yet coherence, emotional depth and fine instrumentalism in a perfect balance. 4½ stars rounded up!