Rest at Worlds End [Bonus Tracks]

Humcrush: Thomas Stronen, Ståle Storlokken.
Now that a new generation has again shown that the idea of Norwegian jazz has moved well past the stage of prompting immediate surprise, hearing what individual acts can do to set themselves apart in the 21st century is part of the overall pleasure. On their third album, the keyboard/drum duo Humcrush continue following their very distinct muse, with songs reaching everywhere, from the organ flights of fancy of Korla Pandit and Raymond Scott to the realms of glitch techno and dark ambient without sounding like any one specific style -- a multiplicity that works wonders. Drawing on live recordings, Rest at Worlds End similarly relies on ranges of mood as well as style -- the contemplative "Edingruv" immediately follows the frenetic opener "Stream," while "Steam" builds from near silence to a nervy rollicking pace via Thomas Stronen's drums, even as Ståle Storlokken's calmer tones maintain a serene mood. Perhaps the best moment is the perfectly lovely title track, Storlokken's work providing a captivating melodic hook, but the whole is well worth investigating, and another well deserved feather in the Rune Grammofon label's cap. ~ Ned Raggett