WERMLAND

The danger in building play lists composed of multiple artists and then playing the tracks at random is there always seems to be one group that doesn't fit in and leaves you reaching for the next button whenever they appear. It was with an understanding that DETEKTIVBYRAN might be one such artist due to their quirky novelty sound that I only selected a handful of tracks from this album. They turned out to be one of the acts I looked forward to hearing, particulary to jump start a glum day or keep a long road trip on the rails.

A series of bright, whimsical instrumentals rooted in the northern European folk traditions, "Wermland" conjures some of the zippy ditties for which MIKE OLDFIELD (try "054" as an example) became known. Far from earth shattering, their use of odd instruments and non instruments alike and their penchant for melodic development make them worthy of consideration by fans of prog-lite. The beginning and rhythm of "Life/Universe" is reminiscent of CAMEL's "Pressure Points", and the track does not disappoint in its astonishingly well developed three minutes. "Generation Celebration" is not for the oom pah pah phobic to be sure, but even it deviates from any rote formula. The overall effect of listening to this entire offering is like that of attending to the rags of SCOTT JOPLIN. They admittedly all blend one into the other, but it hardly detracts from their enjoyment; in fact the massed effect improves upon the experience.

This is a solid album which is probably of limited appeal to most people here. But for those who like it, beware its ability to werm its way into your conscious and subconscious and keep you humming and toe tapping all day. Your co-workers won't understand, poor souls.