Whiteout - In The Country (2009)

In the Country are a Norweigian rock-influenced piano trio similiar to the alt-jazz Bad Plus. While their third album, 2009's WHITEOUT, begins with "From The Shore," a dark piano piece that resembles Berg's Opus One piano sonata, as the album progresses, the trio moves much closer to Weather Report-like fusion stylings or even Emerson, Lake & Palmer extended prog rock. The production features a rich sonic palette throughout, with vibraphone (or its synth equivalent) bubbling inside the mix, but pianist and leader Morten Qvenild never lets things get too out of hand during its seven lengthy tracks (the shortest of which, "Kungen," is just under seven minutes). And for all his Euro avant-garde credentials (a member of Susanna and the Magical Orchestra), Qvenild can sound like a pop jazz instrumentalist such as Vince Guaraldi or even Nashville sessionman Floyd Kramer, albeit without the hooks. Mostly however, he plays like a self-controlled Keith Jarrett with a rock band (a good thing). For all its goth trappings--see the prettified skull on the cover--and ECM-like ambience, WHITEOUT is an extroverted if tasteful jazz-rock outing coming out of an increasingly fertile European scene.