END is the third album by Johan Lindvall Trio for Jazzland Recordings, following on from the acclaimed "No City, No Tree, No Lake" (2019) and "This Is Not About You" (2021). Each of the track titles are like one-word prompts, suggestions for action. The album retains the deep richness and introspective qualities of the previous albums, while the spacious, dreamlike quality, and moody atmospheres also can be found, although are perhaps darker and more contemplative. Upbeat moments occur, such as on "Dance" which marries a Vince Guaraldi-like vibe with Reichian minimalism; by contrast, a track like "Chance" takes the minimalist aesthetic and creates a chattering storm of sound that swells and recedes, almost hypnotically. Melodies are omnipresent, yet frequently weave and duck within stumbling chord progressions, camouflaging themselves one moment, then pouncing from the darkness the next. There is a brevity to each track, with track lengths ranging from just over 30 seconds to just under 5 minutes, acknowledging how the trio succinctly create their statements without resorting to elongated technical displays. Each track has a duality, a sense of being perfectly and thoroughly composed, yet utterly spontaneous as though arisen in the moment it was recorded. The trio's dynamic interplay and musical prowess is entirely at the service of the music, moving through subtlety and suggestion, to restrained declamation. "END" marks out the trio's further growth and maturity, showcasing their ever-increasing ability to capture a listener and an expansion of the musical territory they take that captive audience through.

Johan Lindvall: piano

Adrian Myhr: bass

Andreas Winther: trommer

Foto av Eirik Havnes