This is the album that could be snagged on Soulseek,
but wasn’t available to buy anywhere outside Norway.
A mere six years after its domestic release, along comes
Smalltown Super sound to the rescue. Magazine
is less cohesive than its successors, but all the more
enjoyable for that. The album opens with the group’s
trademark sound in full effect on Jag Its Zoo House.
Martin Horntveth’s thunderous breakbeats propel
a boisterous horn section and short, articulate solos
alternate with thunderous, grin-inducing choruses. Great
fun - sort of jazz minus the chin-stroking. Swedish
Take-Away is a more straightforwardly jazzy live
performance than anything else the band have produced,
with long, vigorous solos that are a pleasure to follow.
Plym is a gently reflective piece of gorgeousness
that morphs into the sort of melody you find yourself
humming the next day and from there the song concludes
in pile-driving stomper mode. It might just be the best
thing the band have done. Seems To Me is a
rather lovely folk-like song complete with wistfully
sung vocals in English. Serafini Jungelism,
although a remix, reveals how close Jungle was to Jaga's
hearts back in the day. Magazine Part 1 and
2 concludes the album sounding like a film
soundtrack; Part 1 is moody and stormy, Part
2 magical.
The current status of the band might appear a little
uncertain due to the recent release of Lars
Horntveth's Pookah.
Lars is the group’s main songwriter and his debut
is notable for the extent to which it sounds like a
Jaga album. More concerning though is that the group's
last album, The Styx, added very little to
the template established by its predecessors. Having
said that, the group’s style is very much their
own and is highly enjoyable. Whatever the (hopefully
rosy) future holds, Magazine is a brilliant
hotchpotch. Highly recommended.
Colin Buttimer
4.5/5 |
