Pastoralia by Jordsjo

Pastoralia by Jordsjo, from 2021.

We talked about Norwegian band Jordsjø, an Oslo-based band active since 2014 that helps keep symphonic rock alive by combining different genres in a new form. We wrote about them in the post for their album released in 2025.

Beautiful old-style progressive rock, vintage keyboards, and a beautiful voice with Norwegian vocals that perfectly suit this genre and give it an archaic, mysterious, epic, and very believable tone. The flute, keyboards, and percussion are superb, as is the guitar with beautiful solos. Genesis-esque keyboards create a sound that shifts rhythm and atmosphere several times.

On this album, the additions of clarinet and double bass create an ancient and classical style, which, combined with the prog they express, creates a new blend.

This is a 2021 release, featuring eight tracks totaling approximately 43 minutes, all complex and nuanced:

- "Prolog" with its jazz guitar solo accompanied by organ, which after this intro unleashes a very refined prog sound.

- "Skumring i Karesuando" with its multiple, sequential changes in style and tempo. Incredible, but it works. TOP track.

- Mellom Mjødurt, Marisko og Søstermarihånd, acoustic guitar, strings and Mellotron, synthesizer and lead guitar, flute, and organ. A solemn, almost archaic piece of pure Norwegian folk prog, very complex, beautiful, for attentive listeners. Another TOP track.

- "Pastoralia," the title track, is a beautiful, almost medieval folk ballad. The keyboards are vintage, the breaks are beautiful, the drums have an almost "ancient" sound, and the wind instruments are top-notch with their solos. The electric guitar licks are beautiful. The complexity here is truly remarkable, with moments where all the instruments have a rhythmic rhythm that is in counter-time with the others, in a seemingly simple rhythm that is anything but. The wind instruments and violin are truly excellent, with moments of pure jazz in the long prog jam that fades into the most epic moment. A truly wonderful piece.

- Fuglehviskeren: There's folk and jazz in this completely instrumental and acoustic piece, with acoustic guitar and contrabass, and violin pizzicato. The double bass and light drum solo is wonderful, with a ballad-like pace but on an upbeat theme. A great piece.

- Beitemark: A song based on a 1950s/60s-style theme and a vocal style very close to the bel canto of the same era. The wind section creates phrasing during the guitar solo. This prog is very unique, with a beautiful composition, even when the tempo picks up and speeds up, and we're into pure symphonic rock, but with the Norwegian vocals, it maintains a folk feel. This is also a top piece.

- "Vettedans," a short instrumental piece based on strings, wind instruments, and vintage keyboards, a delightful interlude of pure virtuosity. It would be almost operatic if it weren't for the light drums and an almost oriental-esque clarinet. Pure folk rock, but with a jazz flavor that makes it unique. A beautiful piece!

Jord III is the longest track on the album and arguably the most beautiful, clocking in at just over 10 minutes. It begins with an opening piano solo, punctuating bars and brief pauses for reflection that break the flow. Then the other instruments join in. The same theme is repeated with the ensemble, until the electric guitar joins in, virtuously drawing scales in tune with the piece. The keyboards become background and chorus, and then comes the epic part: the organ.

This album is astonishing in its complexity and inventiveness, in what may seem like jams but clearly can't be, too complex and intricate. The musicians seem to have a score and draw variations on it. This is music that truly finds its hallmark in its symphonic element. It embraces folk and ennobles it, not because folk isn't originally noble; it does so intentionally. He takes Prog and plays it with classical wind and string instruments, he takes Jazz and puts it to work.

The production is excellent, the artwork is stunning, and the arrangements are top-notch.

A masterpiece of its kind, progressive folk rock with jazz influences, a must-have in any Prog collection. An extraordinary album, with compositional work that's rare these days and creativity that reaches the limit, an eclectic album that explores different directions without having a precise, determined direction. This contradiction makes a beautiful statement because the fusion is perfect.

The Tracks

1. Prolog (2:17)
2. Skumring i Karesuando (7:37)
3. Mellom Mjødurt, Marisko og Søstermarihånd (6:30)
4. Pastoralia (6:05)
5. Fuglehviskeren (2:32)
6. Beitemark (6:02)
7. Vettedans (2:02)
8. Jord III (10:35)
Duration 43:40

Line-Up
- Håkon Oftung - vocals, guitars, flute, keyboards
- Kristian Frøland - drums and percussion
Featuring:
- Håkon Knutzen - guitar (8)
- Ola Mile Bruland - spoken word and poetry (8)
- Vilde Mortensen Storesund - backing vocals
- Mats Lemjan - bass clarinet
- Christian Meaas Svendsen - double bass
- Åsa Ree - violin and vocals (3)