Sver
Sver
Kvarts (www.kvarts.no)

This trio has a sturdy, agile way around a traditional Norwegian tune. They don't toy around too much with complicated arrangements or extended harmonies, but when they do go a little off the path rhythmically or tonally, it's with a good-natured wink. There's a freight-train-worthy forward propulsion to just about everything that they do. Olav Luksengård Mjelva's fiddle and Hardanger grind like a buzz saw, Lief Ingvar Ranøien's accordion wheezes like a marathon runner, and Vidar Berge's guitar chunks along underneath it all. They have a great sense of ensemble, hitting stops and starts with electronic precision. In true Scandinavian fashion, they suspend beats like acrobats, looping though the air and grabbing the next note just in time.

"Måsså ti Nasså" ("Moss in the Nose") has a fierce troll-like stomp to it that's impossible to ignore. "Vals etter Jørgen Kverneng" starts out as traditional as can be with just solo accordion. When the guitar enters on the second go-round, it's just a mite off-kilter. The accompaniment gets more and more out-of-the-box, culminating in a little head-banging near the end. This is not to say they don't have a sweet, soft side. "Nattsvermaren" is a tune originally for Hardanger played here with glistening sensitivity on acoustic guitar. They end the release with "Annbjorg," a gentle tribute to the great fiddler Annbjorg Lien. Their only misstep is "Matnø'a/Hoppvals etter Steingrim Loe." It starts out with such promise, but then.....let's just say that there's no way to make "Pop Goes the Weasel" cool no matter what you do to it. Still, if you're looking for a solid, energetic Scandinavian rush, check these guys out. - Peggy Latkovich

Artists web site: www.sver.biz

CD available from cdRoots

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