If you ever find yourself on the lookout for some faithfully reimagined sounds that revive the nearly lost traditions of the 70s and 80s’ acoustic rock, then the entirety of Blomqvist & Mattjus’s body of work is where you should look first of all.
Hailing from the town of Jakobstad, Finland, Blomqvist & Mattjus is an acoustic rock duo who are bringing us a new full-length studio album, titled ‘Right on Time’. A healthy collection of 11 new acoustic rock numbers, the songs feature a wealth of styles, from bluegrass to power ballads, and nearly everything in between. While the songs mostly take on the guises of far more fleshed-out and intricate, full-band arrangements stripped down to their acoustic core, the duo makes an impressive effort making these cuts as lively and as nuanced as possible. With hearty harmonizations, soulful strumming, ridiculously neat production, and a timeless sound throughout, ‘Right in Time’ will be a gorgeous listening experience to those with the know-how to appreciate this strain of music.
Masterminded by Henric Blomqvist and Jonas Mattjus, the album’s 11 songs feature nothing more than acoustic guitar and vocals, richly layered. I often find myself debating if any overdubs were added on top on the two guitars or vocal lines, but soon retired to enjoying the songs instead. Among the album’s many standouts is the powered-up acoustic rock of the starting cut ‘Is This The Day’. With its high-octane riffs and passionate vocals, the duo strike up an admirable introduction of their sound for the uninitiated. ‘Blood is Red’ stuns with its bombastic dropped riffs. Sounding majestic and grand, the song’s Celtic influences blend in with its bluegrass ones to bring us a memorable fustian of classic acoustic rocking.
‘Ice Queen’ has got unforgettable, start-stop riffs that would do well disguised as an acoustic version of one of Metallica’s better 80s ballads. The restraint that the duo exercise on ‘Ice Queen’ shows just how much control they have over the sound that they produce, which is a hallmark of a capable musician. Not surprising when we know that the duo have more than 30 years of experience between them. The album’s title track is another piece with heart-stopping ballad riffs. Intricate and exciting, the piece and the riffs therein are some of the album’s most memorable bits. Neatly arranged too. The choice of where chords are strummed and when fingerpicking happens is more of a testament to the band’s abilities.
More than once throughout the album I felt that parts of those songs would do better with a bigger band. At least a bass to keep a solid rhythm going as the duo’s acoustic rip through the mix. But the amount of effort the band has exerted to make these songs stand out pieces of self-contained music shows, and its results are mostly sublime. None of the songs are boring, and the sound never feels empty. And closing the album with the hearty cover of Kansas’s ‘Dust In The Wind’ is a sweet move that shows where the duo’s heart is really at. Right on Time is a solid release of solid acoustic songs from a solid duo of top-notch musicians.
