Brothers

Upon first listen, Brothers appears to be just another adventure in the frosty, folky sound-world of northern European jazz. The path beaten by the likes of the Esbjörn Svensson Trio has since been well trodden, and Norwegian pianist Helge Lien's taut and tasteful playing on this album fits into the tradition.
The raison d'être of the European school is to hint at intense currents of emotion with deceptively simple and uncluttered compositions. Bandleader Adam Bałdych – who dedicates this album to his late brother – takes this template and enlivens it with truly virtuosic violin playing. He explores the many faces of loss, from the howls of anguish on ‘Elegy’ to the brooding stillness of ‘Faith’. The album sparks into flame on ‘Love’, which develops an exquisite melody into a life-affirming folk fusion. There's a contradiction in using the cool lexicon of northern European jazz to express the intensity of loss. But Brothers ultimately succeeds in leaving an impression on the heart as well as the head.