In the End of the Night featues an equally withdrawn and cinematic sound, subliminally resonating grooves as well as the bittersweet harmonies of Oddgeir Berg’s piano. And yet, this album is definitely not without
its surprises. In truth, the individual members had long established themselves as top-notch session musicians on the Norwegian scene.
In the End of the Night certainly seems to be inspired by the suspenseful tight rope act of the live gigs. On the one hand, pieces like “List” still feature the recognisably intimate interaction between Berg, bassist Karl-Joakim Wisløff and drummer Klaus Blomvik. On “The Escape”, meanwhile, the band add electronic sound effects to their palette, making Berg’s minimalist piano motives sound like an electro bass.
It is opener “Vagabond”, however, which constitutes the most radical departure from routine here: For four minutes, the trio luxuriate in their characteristically dreamy melodies, before Wisløff suddenly unleashes hell, running his arco bass through a fuzz box and channeling the ghost of Jimi Hendrix.
