POCKET SIZE STHLM

If you desire to listen to a quality band looking back in time for inspiration, and have a tendency to blend hard vintage progressive rock with bits and pieces borrowed from the jazz universe, this latest album by Pocket Size merits an inspection. Especially if you prefer music of this specific kind to be instrumental.

Pocket Size is probably what one may describe as an eclectic progressive rock band. They use elements from heavy prog, jazzrock and psychedelic rock as main parts of their instrumental and, possibly, partially improvised, take on what at least some would describe as art rock. A live instrumental album this one, where the band gets to showcase their abilities as a band unit, in a good and captivating manner. A CD well worth to check out if 70's style, eclectic instrumental progressive rock is something that sounds like a good thing to you.

In many ways, the bands I kept thinking of were Cream and especially Blodwyn Pig, but more in approach as opposed to musical style, which owes far more to the likes of Jefferson Airplane. There is a Hammond B3 at the very heart of the band, and then three guitarists, a rhythm section and a saxophonist/flautist combining to make musical sense of what is going on. There are times when it feels a little basic, but it is played with such heart and soul that the listener just gets caught up in the passion and feeling of the whole thing. There is room for everyone to take their own solos, and the others happily take a back seat and provide the perfect accompaniment, so that in some ways it is quite jazzlike in its nature. Not as overtly heavy as one might expect from different guitarists being involved, and notes are often picked as opposed to heavyweight chords, but there is such a density and intensity to the work that it just doesn't need it. Overall this is a superb work.

Pocket Size is a project that does cover a lot of ground on this production, and a certain taste for variety will be needed to appreciate the charms of this CD. Rather more important is to find the use of the classic Hammond organ to be of general interest of course, and a certain affection for material with jazz and psychedelic details is probably needed as well. But, at least to my ears, the most important aspect of the album is the King Crimson meets Van Der Graaf Generator feel on the majority of the material here, and I suspect that those who enjoy the earlier exploits by both of these bands should find this album to be a charming general experience.

Sweden is known for offering a nice bunch of retro-influenced bands and Pocket Size is another one you should add in the list, inspired by the classic works of acts like TRETTIOARIGA KRIGET or RAG I RYGGEN, adding some complex VAN DER GRAAF GENERATOR colors in the process and delivering some humourous parts on voices akin to HETA LINJEN.There are also some similarities to the sound of BRIAN AUGER in the organ parts, but Pocket Size appear to be more on the jam side of things.Nice compilated rhythms, VDGG-like abnormalities, satirical voices and lots of Heavy/Psych fire are contained in the album, which is driven by a strong dose of long guitar/organ loosiness with psychedelic extensions and the changes in tempos.Of course, sometime this jamming mood ends up to sound a bit too excessive, without any particular reason of existence due to the neverending scratchning and soloing on guitars and keys, but the impressive sound, recalling straight to a band from the 70's, is something you can do nothing else but admire.Great trumpet work by Lenberg, which leads the most complex sessions of the album, and injections of Psych Pop with song-oriented sections complete a nostalgic yet very dynamic effort.

For fans of old-flavored Heavy/Psych/Prog.Lots of guitar and organ nonsense and reckless grooves with alternating moods and featuring some jazzy flashes.Recommended, especially if you are long stuck in the 70's.