REMNANTS OF LIGHT

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.

After three straight albums with the same four piece lineup, we get some major changes for "Remnants Of Light" NEEDLEPOINT's most recent endeavour. This 2024 release saw half the band leave, but I'm thankful that the singer/guitarist and bass player remain. The new drummer is Ola Overby, as the previous drummer left and joined MOTORPSYCHO. The new keyboardist is Erlend Slettevoll who has played with Ola Kvernberg and Kjetil Moster, but more importantly to myself, he also was on that GRAND GENERAL record I adore.

The greatest strength of this band is their story telling. I used to roll my eyes when I'd open their liner notes and see a black page full of lyrics. The thing is, they tell stories of simple, everyday life, that we can all relate to. The album cover art is an example of this. And there's emotion in these simple stories about life. I feel like there's a shift happening here with their latest, as we get more of a GENESIS vibe with the vocals and sound. I'm talking about those mellow GENESIS tunes from the seventies, with those relaxed vocals that tugged at our emotions back in the day. Yes, GENESIS is brought into one of the stories here which is so cool, more on that later.

We get nine tracks and all but one are between 4 and 5 minutes in length. A more stream lined sound, and as a result more accessible than ever. Those distorted organ sounds are still here, bringing to mind that Canterbury flavour, but this album is a little different. I will still maintain that "Aimless Mary" and "Walking Up That Valley" are two of the greatest recordings to ever come out of Norway. I would rate "Remnants Of Light" and "The Diary Of Robert Reverie" as definite steps down from those, but these two are still essential in my musical world.

I have a top five with the first being track three called "While Our World Is Still Revolving". This one stands out for the bass playing and active drumming. Some flute and fiddle too, but I like the organ and clavinet over those. "Another Inch Towards You" brings back memories. And the melodies on here are so inviting. So uplifting this one. The closer "Blank Sheet" is surprisingly experimental to start but that is over quickly as 12 string guitar and vocals come out of that. The singing is in the GENESIS style. Active drumming once again and distorted organ too. Nice. The drumming is relentless on this one, to the point I'm thinking Ola's arms must be tired before it ends.

My top two are left, and these two tracks are among my favourites of 2024. The back to back "Where You Two Once Held hands" and "Large As Lakes". The first of those being the longest on the album at over 6 1/2 minutes(gasp). "Where You two Once Held Hands" is surprising for the vocal style and also who is singing. And that would be the bass player Nikolai Haengsle. There's some distorted organ and repeated themes. The drumming once again stands out. This could be a single. And it was stuck in my head often this past week.

My final top two is "Large As Lakes" and this is all about the words, but I feel that Bjorn Klakegg is one of the finest when it comes to writing lyrics these days. It opens with "Selling England By The Pound. Is from a song I heard a long time ago..." Mellow with reserved vocals, there is so much emotion on this track. It's the lyrics! Some guest clarinet as well.

Yes, this one is a little different from the previous three studio albums. A new lineup and sound you could say. This is a top ten for me for 2024.