Brewed

Their very name is mysterious: Väsen is a Swedish word meaning the essence or soul of something, while also possessing an otherworldly connotation. There's a similar word in German – Zauberwesen, which means ‘Magical Creature’ – and perhaps that's a good description of this legendary witty and brilliant trio, who have woven cunning musical spells together for nearly 30 years. They take their inspiration from the ancient traditions of the Uppland region of Sweden, and were originally a partnership between nyckelharpa player Olov Johansson and violist Mikael Marin, before they were joined by guitarist Roger Tallroth. Since those early days, they have been an unstoppable force for Swedish traditional music, enchanting audiences around the world, with their tunes taken up by the likes of the Punch Brothers and Snarky Puppy.
It's a great testament to their unique wizardry that Brewed, their 17th album, is as exciting and fresh as that of a band breaking onto the scene: 15 new polska-infused compositions flavoured with harmonic weirdness and beguiling rhythms in moods that are by turns wild and melancholy. Tallroth's 12-string guitar, with his own special tuning, Marin's potent five-stringed viola and Johansson's inspired nyckelharpa have brewed up a heady potion on what is sure to be one of the albums of the year.