Jaga Jazzist: One-Armed Bandit (Ninja Tune, 2/23/10)
Jaga Jazzist: “One-Armed Bandit”
[audio:http://alarm-magazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/Jaga_Jazzist_One-Armed_Bandit.mp3|titles=Jaga Jazzist: “One-Armed Bandit”]
Five years have passed since we’ve heard the powerhouse melodies of Norway’s Jaga Jazzist, the post-rock/”nü-jazz” conception of brothers Lars and Martin Horntveth.
One-Armed Bandit, immediately the group’s best album, resembles symphonic prog rock, arguably a few steps removed from parts of Frank Zappa‘s expansive catalog and closer to countryman Jono El Grande‘s diverse and theatrical style. This album, however, is much more cohesive than either of those comparisons suggest, and at times it is nearly overwhelming with grooves and harmonious refrains.