Trummor & Orgel - Visions

The Hammond organ is a funny old beast; capable of conjuring forth ocean storms of electricity one minute, and sounding like elevator muzak the next, they need to be treated with care. Thankfully, Trummor & Orgel know exactly what they’re doing.

Sparse, one chord vamps are as evocative in their simplicity as Hemmingway’s prose style, Sleeper recreating the smoke of a New Orleans jazz joint, and Winter setting the scene of a sublime Sixties acid trip. Elsewhere, the portraits are less abstract; Cooldown is a hip R’n’B ballad with a strutting chorus, whilst Hurricane is jazz laced with danger. Staffan Ljunggren’s drumming throughout is a superb fusion of feel and explosive theatricality, pouting hi-hat features and gutsy tom abuse only providing rhythmic retorts to the melodic invention of the Hammond organ.

Instrumental fusion albums are often the poor cousin to a group’s live performance. Visions is most definitely an exception to the rule. [Joe Barton]