MP3: Eric Malmberg - Söndagskonsert
Eric Malmberg made a name for himself as the organ player for Sagor & Swing, an act I was never all that fond of. Which is to say, they were fine at what they do, it's just that what they did never held my interest. Now, with his new solo record "Verklighet & beat", I'm reconsidering my opinion. Malmberg's groovy organ-based prog/psych-rock still isn't quite my jam, but the fleshed-out, full-band instrumentation is a welcome change and suits him well. It's certainly saying something that Swedish music legend Bo Hansson ("Sagan om ringen") gueststars along with many other well-respected contemporary artists: Jari Haapalainen, Goran Kajfes, Lars Skoglund, etc. The compositions I like best here are the more atmospheric, ensemble works, where the players work together towards a greater whole such as on "Till minne av Lilly Lindström" and today's featured track, "Söndagskonsert". The funky stuff is fine, but it doesn't move me like this does. The sound and movement of the church organ makes me think of a Bach fugue, but the strings give it a more ethereal quality. The way that main arpeggio theme shifts through the chord changes makes me think of soaring birds ala "Winged migration". In fact, this would probably fit right in on that soundtrack. Very nice.
Eric Malmberg - Söndagskonsert