Danish guitarist Alex Jønsson found inspiration for his fourth album as a leader – «Heathland» – in his own backyard: the heath, dust, The moor and wide open spaces. For generations, his family has lived on the ridge of Jutland and these bare natural sceneries are reflected in his own his music. Jønsson is accompanied by his trio comprised of close friends – electric bass player Jens Mikkel Madsen and drummer Andreas Skamby, all three play together in Madsen’s I Think You’re Awesome.

Jønsson is usually a natural melodicist but his compositions and even more, his playing on «Heathland» is totally intuitive and open, minimalist but suggestive, or as Jønsson articulates it: «honest, and cut to the bone. Just like the heath, which at first sight does not appear that interesting but over time reveals a wealth of nuances, details, and colours». Therefore the spirit  of the album is lyrical, melancholic and dark, often sketching rich, cinematic images.

The trio exhausts its nervous, electric power on «…and Darkness Crept In» and «Re: Herr Sehr Schwer» like a bunch of heath peasants who burn and exhaust the soil, offering a sonic transformation of dusty, Danish prairie. But the sparse, minimalist pieces have even more emotional power, as on the suggestive «Out of Shape», the chilly «Icicles» or the reserved drama of «The Sun Is Slowly Rising».

Eyal Hareuveni 

Alex Jønsson (g), Jens Mikkel Madsen (b), Andreas Skamby (dr)