Three Seconds | Kolme Toista

Finnish guitarist and oud player Jussi Reijonen has allowed nearly a decade to pass between his debut album and this follow-up. Perhaps making up for lost time he has assembled nine musicians from at least six countries, who weave together an array of genres from modern jazz to Arabic maqam. Instead of proving unwieldy there is a deftness and balance to Reijonen’s work that conveys both the epic and personal.

Formatting an album as a suite of five movements suggests a seriousness that is reflected in the music. Portentous drones and microtonal moans create a sense of unease, but this is tempered by the surprisingly catchy guitar motifs that anchor each track. This concoction of bitter and sweet is most refreshing on ‘Verso’, which features a playful call-and-response between trumpeter Jason Palmer and violinist Layth Sidiq. Reijonen is admirably unafraid of space and silence. ‘Median’ breaks down to sparse percussive sweeping, creating a devotional atmosphere. The moment is emblematic of a record that is compelling for its restraint in deploying its myriad musical influences.