Olli Hirvonen, originally from Finland but based in New York City since 2011, developed his guitar sound in his native land, steeped in classical, Nordic ECM-like jazz, progressive rock, and metal. Since moving to the states, he’s played jazz, played in the bands Big Heart Machine and Liddie, and done mostly experimental improv work. He formed his trio with bassist Marty Kenney and drummer Nathan Ellman-Bell eight years ago and recorded the progressive, distortion-laden New Helsinki (2017) (Edition) and Displace (2019) (Ropeadope) with them.
Yet, the sound on this recording, Kielo, also on Ropeadope, is a whole different sound, forged during the pandemic lockdown. Not only does it fuse jazz with Americana, but he adds slide guitar, and fashions an airier, lighter overall sonic due to both his own playing and that of bassist Kenney, who plays a Fender Bass VI, a thin-necked six-string bass guitar that is tuned an octave below a normal guitar. The instrument creates sounds more associated with country and alternative music. At times it sounds like dueling guitars.
The recording is live with the trio gathered in a single room without separation. The tunes fall into two major camps – the jazz-Americana fusion and those that build from sturdy chords into more explosive rock-like pieces. Let’s take the former first, which are essential bookends to the album. They kick off with the title track which has the kind of simple folk-like melody we associate with Bill Frisell. Like a warm welcome, its mysterious, and hypnotic sonics introduce the merging of jazz and Americana, setting the tone for the album. The closing piece is a cover of Big Thief’s “Vegas.” Hirvonen’s open tuning creates an uplifting, lush melding of the guitar and the Bass VI, creating an infectious, earthy sonic. While there are sections of other compositions that carry this same fusion,
The bulk of the album though is the latter, dramatic pieces that build out from sturdy chords or initial forms. “Erode” is the preeminent example, building from its chord-driven sound builds into highly dramatic passages like the kind found in the best of slow-burning contemporary rock. Like a snowball gathering size and momentum as it rolls downhill, the sound builds to a glorious climax and then just gently fades in the closing minute. “Outline” begins with the interplay between the guitar and muted bass and together they forge a quiet intensity that grows into the aforementioned dueling guitar sequences. While there are some hints of classical in the piece, they are more distinctive in “Current” which begins with a Baroque Counterpoint before exploding into a louder, rock sonic. “Placeholder” rings with reverberating chords and cascading runs propelled by Ellman-Bell’s repetitive beats. Yet, although it appears to be building into more explosive territory than the other pieces, it never gets there, remaining stuck in an endless loop.
“Lento,” originally inspired by the singer-songwriter Cassandra Jenkins, is heavier, and as the bass fuses with the guitar, at about the halfway point Hirvonen bursts into a burning, arresting guitar solo that represents some of the disc’s most fiery moments. “Unceasing” is the darkest tune of the eight as Hirvonen unveils the slide guitar that cries over the dense harmonies, venturing into disorienting sections, making it an ideal soundtrack for the shut-in pandemic gloom. Yet, in the latter section, Hirvonen and the trio let loose, finding a similar glorious ‘noise’ as they developed on “Erode.” Put this alongside any great guitar-focused record released this year. Packed with drama and full, lush, reverberating sonics, Hirvonen’s Kielo is as strong as any.
