Norwegian jazz prog stalwarts Pymlico return with their eighth album, Core, their first for three years. Unusually for Pymlico, the band’s line up is unchanged from 2022’s Supermassive. It seems that they believe they have hit upon a particularly rewarding core of musicians, both musically and personally, and the idea behind Core is to explore what this band can do without the welter of guest musicians which usually are involved with a Pymlico album. Judging by the music on offer here, they have succeeded spectacularly with a really strong set of songs, and some stellar playing.
Writing is usually predominantly taken care of by Arild and Øyvind Brøter, but again, on this outing, there is more of a group slant, with songwriting shared around a little more. This collective responsibility has resulted in more variation in style, but still maintaining the recognisable Pymlico signature sound, so the accent is still very much on melodic fusion with a progressive twist, and is a style they perform so well. Individual musicians have room to shine, but within the discipline of short melodic song structures packed with hooks. It’s an irresistible combination, and Core works on so many levels. Casual perusal rewards with almost singable (though wordless) melodies, and soaring guitar and sax breaks. Delve deeper into their sound world, and simple songs are found to be multi-layered and detailed constructions, played with precision and passion. Repeated listening is definitely recommended.
The aptly titled opening piece Welcome Back is a fine example. It’s bright and breezy, perfect Summer listening in fact. The opening fanfare is indeed a welcome to the new album, which quickly settles into a brisk tempo with superb sax embellishment and a melody which is instantly memorable. The twin guitars of Stephan Hvinden and Andreas Sjo Engen develop the melody, all underpinned by Are Nerland on bass and Arild Brøter on drums, with Øyvind Brøter’s keys punching through with proggy punctuation. The production is clean and bright, smooth but maintaining enough grit to enhance the heavier moments. Moments like the opening salvo of Ellipsis in fact, which has a robust riff before mellowing in the ‘verses’ allowing Løvøy some space on sax. The light and shade on this track works well, balancing the rockier side with smooth jazz breaks. The riff builds in weight with added orchestral keyboards towards the finale.
When the band allow themselves to stretch out a bit more, the results are even more impressive. 221B is the best example, and is the longest piece on Core at just over eight minutes. Textural Latin flavoured drums and percussion combine with ambient Kraftwork style keyboards to set up a proggier track, with some scorching lead guitar work, and a sing-along closing melody. It’s a riveting listen, and a real highlight of this album. Elsewhere, Captain Teebs sports a chugging but lithe riff, and some nifty lead guitar from Hvinden and Engen. It’s a joy to hear them let rip, then just as quickly slip back into the structure of the song just as chaos was threatening to ensue. The track ends in a cacophony of controlled feedback, and is about as rock’n’roll as Pymlico allow themselves to get! Fair Play follows, co-written by Løvøy, and highlights some outstanding sax soloing and proggy ensemble playing. Mention must be made of the contribution of Oda Rydning who quietly applies some rather lovely percussive textures to most of the songs here. It is indicative of the depth of detail available if you listen carefully, and I have found repeated plays have revealed new nuances on every listen.
Core ends with a beautiful sunset track, the aptly named Done and Dusted, which winds things down gently and peacefully. It is a satisfyingly sumptuous closing piece, simple and perfectly realised. For me, Core is one of the most varied and consistently enjoyable albums yet released by Pymlico. It has all the essential elements, a core of fusion wrapped in a prog framework, but now with added bite and brio. It might not change your world, but listening to Core can only enhance it. I give you Pymlico; welcome back.
TRACK LISTING
1. Welcome Back (5:55)
2. Ellipsis (6:06)
3. Captain Teebs (5:28)
4. Fair Play (6:05)
5. Don’t Do That (6:27)
6. Point Nemo (5:38)
7. 221B (8:03)
8. Done And Dusted (4:54)
Total Time – 48:39
MUSICIANS
Øyvind Brøter – Keyboards
Stephan Hvinden – Guitars
Andreas Sjo Engen – Guitars
Are Nerland – Bass
Robin Havem Løvøy – Saxophone
Arild Brøter – Drums, Keyboards
Oda Rydning – Percussion
ADDITIONAL INFO
Record Label: Independent
Country of Origin: Norway
Date of Release: 9th May 2025
