Jaga Jazzist — One-Armed Bandit

There was a time when Norwegian outfit Jaga Jazzist's music seemed as bloated and meandering as their membership. The five-year gap between this and their last album, 2005's What We Must, suggested that perhaps they saw the writing on the wall.

Thankfully, the time off seems to have tightened their songwriting while expanding the 10 members' musical horizons. They've dropped the electro-jazz sound that was so trendy when they started and have embraced more live instrumentation to create groovier tunes like the very excellent title track.

Harpsichords and marimba sounds abound, all hung together by tight drum and bass lines. Of course, this band still know how to jam, and there's plenty of that here. But it serves more purpose now.

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