DANIEL HERSKEDAL - A Single Sunbeam

“A Single Sunbeam” is an album that focuses its attention more on subtle layering than on the soloistic role of the instruments. This quasi-orchestral vision isn't new in the Norwegian composer's music, but the recurring absence of piano, the exclusion of guitar, and the renewed interest in voice (on the previous album shared equally with Emilie Nicholas) confirm Herskedal's desire to carve out an increasingly descriptive space for himself, almost akin to painting.

A leading figure on the Norwegian jazz scene for nearly two decades, Herskedal has broadened his horizons to take in Scandinavian folk and ambient music, shaping unusual soundscapes akin to a tapestry. The metallic tone of the bass trumpet and the evocative, enveloping touch of the tuba float over lush, slow-motion rhythmic grooves, while melodies of rare beauty heighten their narrative power ("To Render In Paint").

In truth, the harmonies Herskedal entrusts to trumpet and tuba are often simple, but the solemn tread of "Eclipse Cycles" and the bass pulsing with near-dubstep cadences on "Light A Candle" confirm the Norwegian artist's skill at drawing blood and poetry from just a few notes, with tantalizing results.

Deep and meditative, Herskedal's music is intelligently defined by the quality of its writing. The title track is decidedly close to a folk-noir ballad, and the powerful "Your Inner Shadow" builds to an almost sleaze-rock climax. Technical elements that are absorbed into an ever more arcane and imaginative sonic palette.