Jaga Jazzist – One-Armed Bandit Review
Five long years after their last highly regarded album “What We Must” stunned audiences with beautiful melody and cohesive songwriting, Jaga Jazzist see themselves once again reinventing the wheel, combining rock and jazz in ways that seem like a soundtrack for intergalactic space travel.
Everything on “One-Armed Bandit” makes sense. Every melody, transition, and stylistic choice seems carefully planned out and it shows through the rich textures and vibes the songs carry. According to the two main songwriters and brothers of the Norwegian nine piece (Lars Horntveth and Martin Horntveth), the inspiration behind “One-Armed Bandit” was focused around the vision that the lights, sounds and euphoria you get from being in a casino is a certain feeling that is everlasting and loud. This is one of those albums that must be heard loud. I feel that way about most music, but there are many intricacies within “One-Armed Bandit” that can be easily ignored.
The first of these intricacies appears after the short 25 second intro track “Thing Introduces…, The” on the title track “One-Armed Bandit.” The song is filled with wild synthesizers, warm horns and woodwinds, and a driving bass line that burrows its deepest tones in the roots of your ears. It has been referenced previously when the title track was released that it was very Zappa-esque and I fully agree, but the track detracts away from that style of songwriting through various synthy breaks that give the main melody a sense of belonging.
The next track, “Banafleur Overalt” features some great rhythmic drumming, smooth pianos, and cool guitar ambiance that is much in the style of the work on their previous album, “What We Must.” The track also has a more unpredictable nature that a lot of the rest of the album encompasses. The next track “220 V/Spektral” follows in grand tradition, with complex rhythmic styling through heavy synth pads that rise and fall, dissipating in the background, accompanied by light horns and what I believe to be an oboe. It is certainly one of the most interesting tracks on the album and its brilliance won’t probably strike you immediately.
“Toccata” is the song for when you realize you’ve suddenly reached a new planet and there are new opportunities and problems you may face. It begins with a simple two to three note appregiating pattern that eventually is accompanied by large, booming horns as a sign of what is to come. It kind of acts as an interlude track, breaking the album up in half, and while it isn’t the strongest track, it’s certainly mesmerizing.
The most proggy and mathy song of the album has to be “Prognissekongen.” With its angular guitar line opening its stage for the moody vibraphones and chimes, it probably is my favorite track on the album. The drumming doesn’t hold back either, drummer Martin Horntveth gracefully catches every note and attack with precision. It all comes to a sudden realization at 3 minutes and 21 seconds where the bass rapidly scales to a large piano crash, followed by an absolutely mesmerizing synthed and horned progression that is one part dancey and one part jazz.
Things heat up in the melodic “Book of Glass” which reminds me of one of my favorite tracks by Jaga Jazzist, “Stardust Hotel” off of “What We Must.” While “Book of Glass” maintains a certain level of springiness with hard hitted accents and a middle section that successfully borrows from vigor and experimentation of the post-rock blueprints that Tortoise created in the 1990s. The song ends with heavy bass and scary tones that set the atmosphere they have been crafting so far with this album.
The last two tracks, “Music Dance Drama” and “Touch of Evil” are probably my least favorite of the rest, but that doesn’t mean that they have no redeeming qualities. I guess my dislike from them stems from my tastes in melody and progression. While both these songs have a fluid progression and don’t derail what is already a fantastic album in terms of mood, they just lack a real form of remembrance with me.
Overall, “One-Armed Bandit” is a milestone in progressive, instrumental music. It surpasses my expectations and opens up doors in my head to the kinds of music I like and disliked before. It will change your perception and notion of what an album must and can be. It’s melodic, driving, heavy, quiet and everything in between. It’s definitely got something for everyone and is highly recommended.
Score:
out of 5
-Eric Egavian
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