Swedish saxophonist and composer Elin Forkelid has been busy on the scene for the best part of fifteen years, both solo and as leader of various ensembles, most noticeably SOL SOL.
For her latest adventure, the title pretty much says it all, dialling down the wilder proclivities for something more subdued; an album that allows the four players, Elin on saxes, Tobias Wiklund on cornet and trumpet, David Stackenäs on guitar and Mats Dimming on bass, plenty of low-key interaction that embraces the listener, warming the fireplace for a battened-down experience.
Opener “Music For Four” has a dreamy, gentle introduction, the pure guitar tone and smoky sax attempting to weigh down the cornet that seems to hover in the corner of the room. Everything is carefully chosen and the interplay between the four is exquisite in the subtle touches. You can appreciate the gaps the players leave, which feel perfectly natural, David’s staccato guitar break lending lovely progression as the loop back to the opening motif. The more you listen to Songs To Keep You Company On A Dark Night, the more varied it becomes, with the uptempo boppin’ forties-style guitar of “Ytterligheter” keeping the other payers on their toes. They keep the four-way conversation constant, with heckled interjections and loudish outbursts seeing them headed in a slightly freer direction. It feels like a good-natured drunken argument, as if a few snifters have been taken and the warmth in the room is having an effect.Considering the basic group structure, the disparity in styles is really enjoyable. The bass has the opportunity to kick up its heels on “Anemoia” while ‘Introducing’ bounces from a seeping lullaby to a warm, generous collaboration, sounds bubbling up from below and buoying whoever is taking the lead. Although mainly Elin’s compositions, they take a crack at Stevie Nicks‘s “Landslide”, the pretty guitar melody turning into an arm around the listener’s shoulder as the group settles down around the crackling log fire.
They aren’t afraid to let fly with some unsettling discordance when necessary and blow the dust out with a few abstract sounds, just to keep us on our toes; but followed up by something very pretty and chilled and towards the end of the album, they take a measured breathy swing around Carla Bley‘s “Ida Lupino”. It is supported by the subtlest of touches and the drift between leads is imperceptible, a slow evolution that leaves the listener very much in a state of grace.You can tell these guys are enjoying themselves; but they are selfless in their approach, leaving room for all and an undoubted sense of good company on a dark night, just as intended.
-Mr Olivetti-
