Villa Amorini

When guitarist Oyvind Blomstrom (Bare Egil Band, El Cuero), bassist Chris Holm (Young Dreams, Sondre Lerche), and drummer Kim Age Furuhaug (Young Dreams) -- all working musicians from Bergen, Norways music scene -- got together to rehearse a new instrumental project for the first time, the result of the weekend was their debut album, 2018s Mint. The largely improvised, mostly instrumental album offered a playful, laid-back mix of influences spanning everything from dub and funk to jazz and 70s Nigerian psychedelic rock. Hard to pigeonhole but easy to digest, Orions Belte followed up with a pair of EPs before returning with Villa Amorini, their second full-length. Featuring vocals on a handful of songs but still instrumental at heart, the album explores similar territory with a woozy, feel-good disposition, even more stylistic influences, and deeper grooves. Bean serves as an atmospheric, midtempo prelude that welcomes audiences to their beanbag chairs with a sauntering, amplified guitar melody thats backed by acoustic rhythm guitar, vibraphone, and lightly syncopated drums. Strings, various effects, and a livelier bass eventually come into play on a track that ends on slow-fading sustain. Surf-styled guitar, what sound like steel drums, and another noteworthy bass groove distinguish Speakeasy, which instead closes on a swirl of echo. Elsewhere, Dearest effectively mixes easygoing guitar pop and vibraphone-splashed lounge music while incorporating occasional lyrics along the lines of I miss you and hope you miss me, too. The closest thing to a traditional pop song is the catchy Conversations featuring indie pop artist Shikoswe, who provides ethereal vocals alongside members of Orions Belte. In contrast, how long is...cold pizza good for is a circular, six-minute jam with multiple solos, pitched electronic drums, and sound effects in the realm of lasers and spacecraft engines. Full of melodic instinct throughout, Villa Amorini provides a cool and trippy 40-minute ride along basslines that chills out without ever getting sleepy. ~ Marcy Donelson