While Jaga Jazzist are incredibly popular in their native Norway, their success in the UK is slightly reduced to excited murmurings among those who like their music left of the field. This record should change all that. ‘One-Armed Bandit’ is an extraordinary listen on every level, being both highly melodic and rhythmically complex, yet from the first minute of the title track, the record’s success is never in doubt. Such is the confidence with which the ten piece band play, they sweep all before them with tuba, sax, flutes, guitars and much more thrown into the mix. The pulsating piano lines of ‘Toccata’ grow in a manner akin to Steve Reich, a dazzling array of loops, while the softer ‘Bananfluer Overalt’ hints at space rock. This hugely ambitious and satisfying album just gets better with every listen, and already looks like being a landmark album of 2010.
5 Out Of 5
Reviewed By: Ben Hogwood