Huntsville
For the middle class
Rune Grammofon
There's a kind of madness in the best instrumental rock records; it's just something you notice after listening to a lot of them. Norway's Huntsville are clearly miles above most of their competitors, and the difference must be down to their inspired playing, creative brinksmanship on the edges where electronica, post rock and jazz come together, and yes - a bit of madness. There is nothing ordinary about "For the middle class"; it contains music that's constantly in motion, looking for the least-traveled road to take you down. "Add a key of humanity" is 22 minutes long - a real mind-fry of a track featuring frantic percussion, jittery keyboard sounds that contrast in interesting ways, and of all things, a banjo. It's absolutely riveting, and so is the 15-minute "Appearance of a wise child", which, with its upright bass and locomotive-like rhythm, sounds like a train ride through some war-torn country. Without a doubt, though, Huntsville take you on a wild, often psychedelic ride, making every overlapping sound matter. This is a major release in the realm of Nordic soundscape music.
- Kevin Renick