MOOSE LOOSE

1. "Funky Way" (8:19) a steady, somewhat funky song that definitely promotes newcomer Trond Villa, whose sound and playing style here sound remarkably like those of Jean-Luc Ponty. The rhythm section is still tight though the sound levels of the various instruments in the mix are a little out of balance. Guitarist Jon Arild Eberson stands up well, often going toe-to-toe or opposite the band's newcomer. (17.625/20)

2. "Trees" (10:25) a slow, melancholy melody is introduced on Trond's violin, soon joined by Jon Arild's gentle electric guitar arpeggios and then spacious bass and drums. In the third minute Trond's melody line is doubled and enriched by H'kon's electric piano and swirling organ. Beautiful. In the fourth minute, then, Trond steps out to allow for a transition into a bit of a slow funk from P'l and Espen beneath an aggressive, percussive solo from H'kon's Corea-like piano. But then, at 4:40, Trond and Jon Arild return with their haunting guitar-supported melody--all the while you can tell that Espen is bursting to hold back, wanting to let loose and get more dynamic--which he begins to do a little more in the seventh minute. At 6:40, H'kon's swirling organ crescendos as a bridge to a new funk section with clavinet and funkier bass over which Trond solos with more vim and vigor on his electrified violin. He is soon replaced by Jon Arild's fiery electric guitar for a couple more minutes of funkiness. (It's really not very good funk: very simple and ) Overall, I don't see how the two alternating motifs fit with one another: heart-piercing melancholy and fiery pseudo funk? (17.75/20)

3. "Ballad for My Little Girl" (1:56) feels like a variation on Trond's plaintive melody and style that made the previous song so powerful, only here he is supported by H'kon's piano instead of guitar. Filler? Is the band already so desperate for material in order to get to two 20-minute length sides? (4.25/5)

4. "Filet" (1:23) yet another slow, sappy violin melody (sounding to me like something coming out of a scene from a movie set in the old American Wild West) here supported by electric piano and a little acoustic guitar. It works as a practice/warmup for the next song. (4.375/5)

5. "White" (11:38) more odd, almost forced jazz-funk used to bolster up some fair but by-now-repetitive violin soloing. (Trond is no master at fiery dynamic violin play; he is more of a master of emotional melody.) Around the five-minute mark the band clears out for a spacious somber section in which the band just kind of mulls around (like some kind of In a Silent Way/Bitches Brew studio scene) while Trond and Jon Arild take turns trying to find something worth playing, some kind of inspiration, some kind of melody to possibly excite the audience with. Jon Arild's fire begins to show and catch on in the eighth and ninth minutes, elevating the performances of his cohorts nicely, but then his own inspiration and skill seem to peter out as mistakes and lulls and failures get in the way despite a growing intensity coming from the three rhythmatists (I include H'kon in this reference, of course). A bridge of dynamic showmanship at the ten minute mark signals the end of Jon Arild's time in the spotlight as well as the return of Trond. There are some good parts but as a whole this song just fails on so many levels. It even ends badly!(17.375/20)

6. "Graf" (5:01) finally a song that feels as if it's been thoroughly worked through--to the point at which every musicians' part has been thoroughly mapped out, as if each musician has been given meaningful purpose to every measure of their presence in the song. This is what I've been missing from this album's music: direction, purpose, and cohesion! While it's not a great song, it is a mature composition that has been attentively rendered. (9.125/10)

Total Time: 39:10

Despite the wonderful tones and melodies brought to the band from Trond Villa's violin, the music of Transition feels much less insistent, much less inspired and necessary than the fare the original band produced for their self-titled debut. That band was on a mission! This band feels as if they're trying to imitate or live up to the standard set by the first band (and album). Too bad! They really had such a good thing going! (And drummer P'l Thowsen really was a force!)

B/four stars; a fairly nice collection of Jazz-Rock Fusion songs that could, in my opinion, almost all have used more work, more development, more commitment to fulfilling the potential of each and every musician throughout the course of each and every song. Nowhere near as delightful as the band's self-titled debut.

1. "Eber's Funk" (7:45) opens aggressively like something from the early J-R Fuse masterpieces from Tony Williams and John McLaughlin then gets really funky with Brynjulf Blix's masterful clavinet play. (One cannot help but wonder how long he'd been playing this rather new instrument and its funk applications.) Drummer Pål Thowsen is amazing! Then guitarist Jon Arild Eberson launches into a wonderfully fiery solo himself, showing no shame or fear of being compared to the J-R F greats like McLaughlin, Coryell, Akkerman, and Connors. (14/15)

2. "B.M." (11:45) I love the experimentation here with all of the early Mahavishnu Orchestra instrument sounds--and the way they take some of the music and style of Dutch progsters FOCUS and move it even further into the realm of jazz or jazz-rock fusion. The main electric piano four-chord motif gently propelling the song along does get rather old as the soloists go on (and on), but the work of drummer Pål Thowsen beneath is quite a nice diversion to pay attention to. (22.5/25)

3. "Flytende Øye" (6:39) again, the proggy side of Jazz-Rock Fusion--here exploring the Bitches Brew/Herbie Hancock approach to electrifying jazz. These musicians are so talented! (9.25/10)

4. "Skakke Jens" (5:32) with some scathing electric guitar in the spotlight and only bass and drums beneath this one feels more like a progression of power trio rock as Jimi Hendrix might have taken it had he lived longer. Not as jazzy as the previous songs, still very interesting. R-L reverberating-panning Fender Rhodes enters at 2:50 with great effect (essentially shutting down Jon Arild Eberson's guitar) taking over the lead for the remainder of the song. (8.875/10)

5. "O Kjød" (6:42) what sounds like electric piano (though it could be oddly processed acoustic piano) and gently-picked electrified acoustic guitar open as kind of a duet, though the guitar exists more in a support capacity for the first minutes. Very Mahavishnu John McLaughlin and Chick Corea like. Jon gets a turn in the lead halfway through while Brynjulf settles back into an even-more-Chick Corea-like support roll. Wish it were better recorded. (9/10)

Total Time: 38:23

I often find it hard to understand how caucasian people can be so funky--as if African traditions have some kind of exclusive on the sound and form--but this band definitely has some serious funk running through their veins. Awesome stuff!

A-/five stars; a minor masterpiece of Jazz-Rock Fusion in its very quintessential form(s). An album every self- proclaimed prog lover should hear at least once over their lifetime. HIGHLY recommended.

And we get quite an array of sonics and intensities: beautiful, reflective "quiet" sections (see the track "Trees"), and great jams and interplay between all the players throughout. Being a good Fusion album, the guys in the band really compliment each other, supporting soloists, laying back, etc., as well as anyone else in the biz. I would otherwise most highly recommend the final track "Graf". Just a nice composition, while being fun and interesting and displaying the best of what this band apparently has to offer.

Not giving the Swedes a run for their money (I'm not sorry), but of course we all know by now that the Nordmen do in fact bring it.

True Rate: 3.75/5.00