Svang
Jarruta (Aito)
*****
A Finnish harmonica quartet! They might sound like a novelty act, but Sv‰ng are writing and playing music that's surprisingly strong on melancholy and pathos.
Of course, there's also a great sense of humour and enjoyment in the extraordinary sounds that they bring out of an undervalued instrument - although the word harmonica rather undersells the large bass instrument and chromatic models they've developed.
They also write some pretty catchy tunes. Like most of the musicians on the inventive Finnish folk scene, the four members of Svang - Jouko Kyhala, Eero Grundstrom, Pasi Leino and Eero Turkka - have come out of Helsinki's Sibelius Academy. It's probably safe to say they're the world's leading mouth-organ ensemble. SIMON BROUGHTON
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