NEEDLEPOINT

This is album number three for Norway's own NEEDLEPOINT. Released in 2015, we get get seven tracks worth 39 minutes. A four piece with a new drummer named Olaf Olsen on board for this one. This lineup will stay the same for three straight albums before changing on 2024's "Remnants Of Light". By the way Olaf is drumming on the new self- titled MOTORPSYCHO album released in 2025, although he's on three songs only. The singer, guitarist and leader of the band is Bjorn Klakegg. Although having session maestro David Wallumrod as your keyboardist and Nikolai Haengsle as your bass player surely makes Bjorn's job a much easier one. Nikolai produced this album, and some may recognize him from ELEPHANT9 or perhaps MOSTER!

This was love at first listen. Those whimsical vocals are perfect for this music and of course bring Canterbury to mind. Light jazzy tunes with plenty of vocals and humour will do that. Of course there's an egg in Bjorn's last name as well. I consider five of the seven tracks as being 5 star songs. The other two are excellent as well. So hitting 5 stars here will be an easy thing. Also this is a top three record for me for 2015. And while this is fairly lightweight overall, you have to hear that section to end "Soaring" which brings ELEPHANT9 to mind. We're talking the last 5 minutes of that 8 minute track. A killer section where the train rolls.

The two songs that don't blow me away are the opener "Fear" as well as "Half Awake". Both are really good though. "Fear" is kind of quirky instrumentally as the vocals come and go. Some inventive guitar, then organ leads. "Half Awake" has some interesting things going on early. Drums only before 2 minutes then the bass joins in and it sounds amazing. In fact the bass and drums impress until a calm arrives around 4 minutes in to end it. "Why" was the first song to cause my jaw to drop. Just a gorgeous chorus and I love the lyrics. Some in your face organ at one point too.

"Shattered Into Memories" starts out great with the bass and keyboards that bring LE ORME to mind surprisingly. Again the bass and organ impress, and we get some more interesting guitar here. Big finish. "Aimless Mary" gets stuck in my head. He's telling a story. Some funny lyrics and the guitar melodies are beautiful. The vocals really shine here. "Imaginary Plane" might be my favourite. Just gorgeous. And such a feel good sound before 2 minutes. what a way to end it!

I do love my modern Canterbury related albums, but this one has risen above them all.

4.5 stars really! This is a very fine melange of Canterbury, Art Rock, and Jazz Fusion, done up in a Norwegian neo style, managing to sound fresh but at the same time from a distant era. This album is compositional, melodic, complex yet accessible. It is impeccably produced and all the players have good chops. It's just a great listen. It's like you put on Caravan, Peter Green era Fleetwood Mac, Renaissance, and Return to Forever on one platter. I find it rewards multiple listens and one I eagerly return to. The title track nearly makes me weep. Poor Mary! I want to give her a hug. If there is any reason for not giving a 5 I would say none of the vocals are memorable and I somewhat like that in this instance - the same way I give Camel a pass vocally because that's just not really the point of a band like this. When you can't decide between Moon Madness, Space Shanty, or Caravanserai, put this on instead.

The Light In The Needle

Needlepoint, the Norwegian progressive act known for blending elements of Canterbury jazz, folk, and psychedelic rock with a vintage sound, has released The Remnants of Light, their latest album. The record features their signature 1960s-1970s psychedelic Canterbury jazz vibe, at times evoking bands like early Steely Dan, with Paul Simon-style vocals, but infused with a distinct Nordic flavor. Despite drawing from many influences, Needlepoint remains a highly original band, showcasing outstanding musicianship from Bjørn Klakegg (guitar, vocals), David Wallumrød (keyboards), Nikolai Hængsle (bass), and Olaf Olsen (drums).

The Remnants of Light feels similar to their last three records?Aimless Mary (2015), The Diary of Robert Reverie (2018), and Walking Up That Valley (2021)?but comes across as the weakest of the four. That said, it's still a well- executed album. The songs, however, feel slightly uninspired compared to their earlier works. This time around, the record leans more into melodic vocal interpretations, leaving much of the instrumental focus behind?a notable shift from their previous albums, where the sound was more instrumentally driven.

It sounds more commercial but still retains that signature jazz-infused vibe. Perhaps the band, in their maturity, is trying to explore a more accessible, commercial side? Regardless, it remains a compelling record, full of excellent solos, analog keyboards, and fantastic interplay between bass, drums, and guitar.

What if Paul Simon had been born in Norway and fronted a prog-Canterbury band? The result would undoubtedly be Needlepoint.

This is a very talented four piece band out of Norway and "Walking Up That Valley" sits only behind SHAMBLEMATH's second record when it comes to my favourite albums from 2021. Norway is taking over! The bass player plays in MOSTER! and ELEPHANT9. We get a guest Swedish drummer and guest choir. The singer has this whimsical, Canterbury-like voice and he plays guitar, violin, cello and flute. The keyboardist adds clavinet, organ, harpsichord, fender rhodes and synths. And I have to mention the drummer who is a very much in demand session guy but also plays on a lot of tours for bands. Anyway he really stood out to the point of me looking him up. Very active. This album is all about the details. The overall mood is light and sunny but man there are some fiery passages along with distortion and dissonance. This album has it all and I actually right now have it tied with "Aimless Mary" as my favourites from them. Two absolutely incredible 5 star albums.

I was surprised at how moved I was at times, the lyrics really resonate with me, especially the ones about nature. While I do have a top three here I have checked every song but one and that's "So far Away" a relaxed 3 minute folky piece but the rest are outstanding and the reason this gets 5 stars. Top three songs for me include the second track "I Offered You The Moon" along with the final two tracks "Another Day" which is so moving and the title track that ends this record. Check out the lyrics on that title track. Just takes me to another place. I have fallen hard for this one, it's just perfect.

In albums future-hence, Needlepoint are a Norwegian Jazz-Rock band that combines an occasionally progressive focus with Roots Rock and Psychedelic Pop-Rock. I have to admit, and you can see my reviews and ratings for their following two albums, I'm a bit of a skeptic, but I know they have a lot to offer and at their best, they are excellent. I can't sing any praises here.

This, their debut LP, opens with "Reynard", a jazzy Funk jam. It's a jam and no more. Some nice textures. This is followed by "Next Peg", a low and slow sort of bluesy number, with groovin' drums and clean, melodic guitar soloing. It's very safe. Don't need it. Then we have the more bombastic, rolling rhythm of "Out of Wives" [hilarious name, by the way], which initially feels like a call to the Jazz Fusion of, perhaps, John Abercrombie (a compliment, in the least). Much more confidence here from seemingly all camps coming off that last one. Guitar and electric (and again funky) organ(?) trade off solos over this solid groove. This crescendos to a pretty bright blaze. It's the apparent (deeply effected and fuzzy, though crunchy and alien) bass at the end that really drives it home. Anyways, though, just way too long... I can't help but say how aimless it feels.

Next is the title track, "The Woods Are Not What They Seem". It is low and slow and the drums are simplistic (though with clever little tings on the cymbals). Soft guitar solos slowly over this even slower rhythm... Hmmm... And that's the whole song. I skipped through it, honestly. Then we have the even longer "Drift", but at least these drums are cool as hell. I'm once again hearing some twang, reminiscent to me before (I had noted) of Guthrie Govan, the master of genre bending/blending. This might as well be a Grateful Dead song, though... But like in a bad way. I had also mentioned Krautrock and this has a spacy sort of jam feel that is very comparable to that (again, not in a way that I would prefer--and I don't dislike Krautrock in the least). Again, it's 12 minutes and again, it just feels so aimless to me.

Entering into our final tracks, we have "Half the Man". And I feel I've been severed here... by absolute boredom... Yeesh. Just happy to be writing another negative review hahahaha (I really do love it). 'R'ain't nothin' here for me. Next, "Trapdoor" is another sort of spacy psychedelic jam. But it brings nothing new or interesting to the table (I mean, I'm not expecting anything totally new from Psych, but you get it). And with the finale, I'm bored to death again (it is pretty... not that I care). "Eyes Shut"? More like ears shut... I'm done. Bye.

True Rate: 1.5/5.0

The third LP by this Norwegian band, they combine Pop hook with proggy Jazz Rock, but really only on occasion is it truly progressive, truly compositionally interesting. I was unsure about their second, Outside the Screen with which I started, but I figured I would give them a better chance (and I'm certainly somewhat trustworthy of our community's positivity) [even now...]. Even so, as mentioned below (and in the review for that album), their main M.O. is texture, and not composition: that's where you'll lose me 90% of the time.

Right off though, "Fear" starts out most strongly. The melody, in its softness, is so solid and the instrumentation is just flying forward at 100 mph. Hypnotic rhythm spurned on by the main guitar/bass riff met then with awesome organ, flying off the handle after minute 2. What an opener. It ends then with a beautiful, apparently (at times) glissando-style guitar solo. Something super familiar, super classic occurs on the next, "Why". It's a neo-psychedelia that, I suppose, reminds me somewhat of the bits of King Gizz I do know. Just a super cool Psych, mixed with hints of what feels to me like Roots Rock.

Next, "Soaring" starts off so very sweet, with electric piano interlocking with guitar and a melodic bassline. Around minute 3, there's this Progressive Electronic sort of shift, with thumping (yet low) synths and a rhythm that picks up from the nearly melancholic intro. This continues to crescendo and crescendo, building with organ and a light intensity from the drums, nearly all the way to the end. And the ending is of its own feel. It was a bit much, like the noisescape excesses of Krautrock that just aren't quite for me. "Shattered Into Memories" picks it up next, with more from their sweet, soft rhythm section. From the rolling basslines to the church-readied organ, this feels like innumerous callbacks to the early-70s. Then, in the middle, there are just some beautiful sonic choices from synths and guitar, the latter in a long jazzy solo (and an excellent one at that). It jams on for quite a bit and then there's another end with a progressive and wild ending. I'll take it!

Next, our title track, "Aimless Mary", picks things up from the previous bombast, soft and balladic. I feel like tracks like this (and what "Shattered" appeared to be) have me reflecting on Outside the Screen: it's some decent singer-songwriter matched with really excellent musicianship, but frankly I'm just not interested in that right now (and perhaps nor you) [Wow, the English language really is something, huh?]. Nor am I interested much in that ever, I suppose. Again though, the musicianship, as I reflected on with previous tracks, is there, and yet... the overall focus is just not gripping to me personally.

The Rootsy, classic feel returns on the soft "Half Awake" and then.... around minute 2, the organ (and bass?) comes in low, but with heft. Once again, like their aforementioned sophomore release, this is atmospheric music, music of texture, not necessarily of composition (though they've proved they have that, too). There's even less here for me than on "Aimless Mary"... Finally, we have "Imaginary Plane". The melodies are sweet and once again we're in the low and slow. An interesting form to end your album out with. But I'm not them. And I've certainly never stepped foot in Norway haha.

I think, like one of their contemporaries Krokofant, only some of their material really appeals to me at all. Whether or not they fit the bill of "Progressive Rock" is questionable to me, though it's clear they're capable.

"Outside the Screen" rolls into your ears from without. Very cool. It shimmers with the guitar-organ interplay. There's something "cowboy" about this haha. More precisely though, Southern Rock goings on?

"Johnny the Player" is hurried and quirky. Soft vocals. The guitar glimmers here and then blazes in solo. Interesting to see this all on ProgArchives, but then my mind does go to the fact that The ARISTOCRATS exist--from the viewpoint from this album, though, they don't have much to offer in the way they do.

"Tree on a Hill" is very sort of classic and sweet. Very lowly music. Very low to the ground. A common vibe here.

"If I Turned Left" begins with a sort of tribal hit of the toms. It meanders softly. There's something that reminds me of perhaps More by PINK FLOYD. Very soft and very ominous. Filmscore-ready.

"Magpie" has a sort of rolling nature that to me struck as something that may be found on a BEARDFISH release (and yet the guitar at the end actually reminds me of FRUSCIANTE). But again, everything is mixed so low and soft. It's very much music of a certain vibe, for the sake of textures. It ramps up at the end, but from what?

"Ten Seconds" ironically lasts 44x that haha. Not a whole lot here. Again, music for textures. A tad experimental, psychedelic even.

"Snoring Husband" picks things back up, with rolling rhythms and heavier guitarings. Is it Prog though, here? Not really. And really, I don't have much of anything to say about the closer, "Sikup Sinanni".

Overall, I'm not too impressed. I wouldn't really recommend it for progressive music's sake.

True Rate: 2.5/5.0

The third album release from these nostalgic Norwegians, this is the first with drummer Olaf Olsen, a move that makes a difference. (Not that previous drummers were bad, it's just that Olaf makes the listener stand up and listen. A lot.)

1. "Fear" (5:47) opens with a Motown-like motif and sound before turning Curtis Mayfield and then, with the vocals, a funked up early YES or ELP-like song. (8.5/10)

2. "Why" (6:12) Love the affected accent in the vocal sounding like a Reggae Tim Buckley. Very much like the Boston dream prog-pop band, GHOSTS OF JUPITER. Great melodic hooks in both the vocal and the instrumental threads. Also a great sing-along lyric. Easily my favorite song on the album. (9.5/10)

3. "Soaring" (8:15) sounds like a collaboration between Mark Isahm, David Torn, Ståle Storløkken and The Amazing. (13.5/15)

4. "Shattered into Memories" (5:01) jazzy psych-pop over strong swirling Hammond organ play. Lots of interesting guitar sounds used, as well--jazzy hollow-muted strings, as well as continuous fast-running bass play. Interesting. (8.5/10)

5. "Aimless Mary" (5:44) sounds like a song from some mid-1960s British psych-pop band--maybe The Zombies, The Animals, or The Soft Machine or even the first Yes or Hatfield albums. (8.75/10)

6. "Half Awake" (4:33) deeper into the simple psych-folk world--the first half could be a Tim Buckley, Syd Barrett, or Donovan song, the second Arthur Brown or even Steeleye Span or the Pentangle. Spooky, gripping song. (9/10)

7. "Imaginary Plane" (3:22) opens like something off of THE AMAZING's 2011 album, Gentle Stream--thought the vocal performance is more reminiscent of AL STEWART. Nice. Love the 1972-4 Stevie Wonder-like synths. (8.75/10)

Total Time 38:54

The band's eclectic retro psychedelic sound continues to evolve, to experiment. Organ sounds and the use of more electronic-based soundscapes seem to dominate this album.

B+/4.5 stars; an excellent addition of dreamy jazz-psych-pop to any prog lover's music collection.

Refreshing psychedelic folk from Norway that brings back nostalgic feelings from 1967's Summer of Love--when love and optimism were still at the center of the Hippie/Flower Power movement--before the tragic death of cult icon John Griggs in 1969.

1. "Rules of a Mad Man" (5:11) reminds me of The BYRDS, The ASSOCIATION, The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band, and Sweden's The AMAZING. (8.75/10)

2. "I Offered You the Moon" (7:51) an intricately woven Summer of Love like pop psychedelic song that has an unexpected jazzy feel. Amazing Pat Metheny Group/RTF/Chick Corea-like instrumental passage in the fifth and sixth minutes. Love Erik Nylander's congas! And then the bass, Fender Rhodes, and drums really get to shine over the final 90 seconds. Wow! (14/15)

3. "Web of Worry" (3:34) As if Paul Simon wrote and sang a Stevie Wonder song. At the two minute mark, during the instrumental passage, it turns full Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young. So cool! (9.25/10)

4. "So Far Away" (3:11) could be acoustic LED ZEPPELIN, BREAD, CELESTE, or PAUL SIMON. And then it goes Massive Attack unplugged at 2:20! Just brilliant. (9/10)

5. "Where the Ocean Meets the Sky" (4:25) more complex, sophisticated jazz-tinged pop psychedelia that sounds like it comes straight out of a California Pop Festival of 1968 or 69. Again, strongly reminiscent of Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young from this era--especially the front-and-center bass play and perfect vocal harmonies. Brilliant and beautiful. Again, great hand percussion play to go with the gorgeous drumming and richly nuanced instrumental tapestry. (9.25/10)

6. "Carry Me Away" (3:56) has a very Brian Auger's Oblivion Express and, less, Santana feel to it. The guitar solo over the is so straight out of Eumir Deodato's 1973 world-wide jazz funk version of Ricard Strauss' "Also Sprach Zarathustra" as inspired from the 1968 classic film 2001: A Space Odyssey. (9/10)

7. "Another Day" (4:45) despite its interesting instrumental palette (including harpsichord), this one drags a little too much. (8.25/10)

8. "Walking Up That Valley" (10:44) opes like it's going to break into "Hair" by The Cowsills. But with the appearance of the vocal we can see that it is a true folk song--a gorgeous one at that. Simple guitar with solo voce, gradually joined by other guitars and Hammond. At 4:30 we transition into a uptempo, more jazz-rock instrumental passage. The sound palette of guitars, bass, and snare drums and cymbals is very cool thought the flanged lead guitar is nothing too exciting. I'm quite reminded of Gadi Caplan's masterful jazzy Prog Folk album from 2016, Morning Sun. As a matter of fact, this entire album has a similarity to that wonderful album. The guitar solo over the zoom-along AMAZING-like passage in the ninth minute is astonishing! What an amazing passage! Some of Al Stewart and Donovan in the gorgeous next session. The way we're cut off from the continued jam at the end feels like robbery! One of the best prog epics of the year--maybe the best. (19.75/20)

Total Time 43:37

A collection of sophisticated, deeply layered folk psychedelia that issues new and pleasant discoveries with each and every listen. Wonderful. Each and every song seems so lovingly created--from composition, lyrics, and performance to recording and mix. An absolute treasure. One of my favorite albums of 2021.

A-/five stars; clearly a masterpiece of retro-psych Prog Folk; an album that any prog lover will surely appreciate and love--especially the old-timers who were alive in the 1960s.

This album may masquerade as a "Canterbury Scene" work but I see beneath the Wyatt esque vocals and instrument choices to see that this is absolutely not Canterbury Scene. The music is actually songs!? No riff salad here, no orgasmic changes, nay what you hear is what you get for short 3 minute tunes that have clear starts and finishes, absurd. Additionally the music is pretty subpar, not very catchy, repetitive and just plain dull to my ears. The music is always constrained by such tasteful concepts as "form". Also for an album sporting an acclaimed Jazz guitarist one would expect instrumentals? Most of the album is vocals, the bridges tending to be actually quite short on this album.

Easy 3/5, aside from the previously mentioned issues I have with this album/band the music is okay. This should appeal to fans of 60/70s Psych music or Indie rock. Definitely don't expect any kind of development on these songs or instrumental prowess, very tame generic fare. Canterbury Sound Score 3/5