Together with drummer Ivar Loe Bjornstad and bassist Ellen Brekken, and recording with an eight-track tape machine, her Trio turn the full force of heavy rock and electric jazz to demonic purposes. It can be sledgehammer sludge, stoned to a crawl as on "Arigato, Bitch'. Or it's nimble as a phantom on astapopoulos', a dizzying churn that's named after the archvillain of Hergé's Tintin cartoons. And for the Mollestad Trio at its intuitive, ESP-connected finest, check "Liquid Bridges'. "Laughing John" gestures towards the great Mahavishnu Orchestra guitarist as well as a music teacher, named Jon, who heavily influenced Hedvig's development. The album's fine balance between looseness and control follows a year of world touring, and tracks reflect such ... read more