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Written in fRoots issue 270, 2005


SVÄNG
Sväng
Aito AICD005 (2004)

The idea of a harmonica quartet might evoke images of an old variety-stage act: mildly amusing in an eventually irritating kind of way but not of any great musical interest. But these four Finns, in the baggy suits that Finnish male musicians seem to favour when they’re being ironic, have come up with something remarkably complete-sounding and musically ingenious that could see them on quite a few world music stages.
      In other contexts they’ve all been around for a while in various capacities in the Sibelius Academy related Finnish folk scene. Eero Turkka, who in other contexts is a fine singer of Finno-Ugrian songs, and Eero Grundström, doyen of the portable harmonium and also an excellently sympathetic piano accompanist, both here stick to the small diatonic and chromatic harmonicas. Jouko Kyhälä, noted harmonica-driver and prime mover in quirky and experimental approaches to Finnish roots, covers the mid-range with the rectangular Hohner Harmonetta keyed chord harmonica, and Pasi Leino’s big bass harmonica completes the surprisingly fat sound with deep, chugging bass-lines.
      What elevates a neat idea into something with more substance is the quality and variety of the band’s material and arrangements. Opening with two Turkka originals - a snappy 7/8 tune in Romanian style and a tango - they move through tunes of Finnish, Russian, Romanian, US and Swedish extraction, finishing with Turkka’s cartoonish Svängtime Rag. In fact, speaking of cartoons, though there’s probably no obvious influence there’s a kind of R. Crumb, Cheap Suit Serenaders feel to the whole thing. The quartet’s performances at Kaustinen festival, where they were Band of the Year 2005, showed real promise as a touring prospect; have harmonica, toothbrush and suit, will travel...


© 2005 Andrew Cronshaw
 

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fRoots - The feature and review-packed UK-based monthly world roots music magazine in which these reviews were published, and by whose permission they're reproduced here.

Kansanmusiikki-instituutti (Finland's national Folk Music Institute).

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