Lately I've been listening to Nordic's second CD, Hommage. Nordic is a Swedish "folk" trio, composed of nyckelharpa, mandolin, and cello. One is constantly reminded that the word "folk" is the same in singular and plural in Swedish, as their roots extend in many directions. For instance, Magnus Zetterlund's rhythm playing owes a great deal to the American traditon, exemplified by Thile, Bush, Grisman, and Marshall. And, indeed, one of the tunes is Lochs of Dread, a Strength of Numbers classic. I would guess that their influences also extend far beyond the folk realm. The concluding polska has a stately ending reminiscent (in mood) of one of Sibelius' symphonies (I forget which), and one tune, Morsis, towards the end makes me wonder if they've been listening to Philip Glass. Rhythm (and dynamics) is their business, on a few songs the trio more or less turns into a tightly knit percussion ensemble.

I don't know whether it will be available through, e.g., CD Baby, CD on, or amazon.com. You can order it at bengans.se, but shipping and handling almost doubles the price. But it's worth it!