Den Overste Toppen Pa En Blamalt Flaggstang

There is so much to love in this album. The Norwegian all-female quartet Spunk has delivered a solid second opus, showing a commanding growth in the group's evolution. Den Overste Toppen Pa en Blamalt Flaggstang, a title that translates to "The Very Top of a Blue-Painted Flagpole," refers (once again) to the children's book character Pippi Longstocking. The identification between the redheaded hellraiser and this group is genuine: the music goes through various levels of charm, wittiness, playfulness, intelligence, and mischief. Spunk allies traditional acoustic instruments (cello, trumpet, French horn), live sampling and electronics, and an array of toys and kitchen percussion. The approach integrates "serious," British school-derived free improv and noise-making. Lene Grenager's cello acts as a reference point since it is almost continually present (her playing, on the other hand, can mutate from romantic to extra screechy). Everything around her changes, turning each track into a surprise. Highlights include "Kamelmusikk," a call to seduction led by a recorder; the toy-ridden "Togturen Til Andes"; and "Sing a-Long." In the latter, Maja Solveig Kjelstrup Ratkje gives her voice a full workout. Her range and vocabulary build a bridge between Bjork and Phil Minton. "Strom" sounds like the trumpet of Bill Dixon caught in an electrical storm engineered by Merzbow. Spunk has created a signature sound that remains non-confining. It results in some of the freshest, most thought-provoking music this reviewer has heard in a while. Highly recommended. ~ Francois Couture