In The Country were my favourite new discovery last year.  This Was The Pace Of My Heartbeat was a fascinating subtle update of the piano trio format; soaked in a tradition reaching back to Bill Evans, yet somehow still capable of catching fire in a fashion discernibly influenced by modern electronic music.

Losing Stones, Collecting Bones had much to live up to.  If I were them, my approach to doing so probably wouldn’t have involved some singing and an electric guitar.  My first reaction to the album was to recoil at the way these elements stood out from their monochrome backgrounds with a vulgar luminosity.

Something else about those vocals stood out though.  “Everyone’s going to die…”, In The Country told me quite correctly.  “Everyone live their lives”, they ordered us, and I looked around, and everyone appeared to be doing just that. “Hang on..”, I thought, “if they got those two right, are you really sure they haven’t got the guitar and singing things right too?”.  After some rumination, I decided I couldn’t be entirely sure, so I gave them the benefit of the doubt, and persevered.

I was right to do so, for very much like its predecessor, this is a record that rewards repeat repeat repeat listening.  The Bleyish piano of Morten Qvenild (Susanna and the Magical Orchestra, Jaga Jazzist) is slow to give up its secrets; half a dozen listens to “My Best Friend Is A Dancer” later, and I’m still picking out new melodies en route to its dramatic conclusion. The drums of Paal Hausken skip around rhythms, on occasions even deigning to play them; underpinning those vocals on “Everyone Live Their Lives” are some terrific skittery tinks and bonks, and there is some great out stuff on “The Bear”.  And continuing on an onomatopeic tip, the thwonking double bass all over this album is untouchable; such a satisfying sound.

I’ve even made peace with the singing. It is only on a couple of tracks, after all.  However, the guitar daubed over “Torch Fishing”…the great Marc Ribot or not, I still can’t make it work in this context.  Too showboaty in a band who seem at times almost ashamed of their own talent, burying it deep within the record’s grooves.   Patient investigation of it will prove a highly rewarding experience.

Listen to a reasonably-sized chunk of the album here: mp3s of Kung Fu Boys, Can I Come Home Now, Everyone Live Their Life and Torch - Fishing, all from www.inthecountry.no