Wandering Mind, Drifting Weather by Julia Gjertsen and Gustav Davidsson (Review)

Earlier in the week, I had an experience that every writer longs for: a perfect metaphor popped into my mind, unplanned and unforeseen. It concerned Gustav Davidsson’s trombone on Wandering Mind, Drifting Weather — his new collaboration with pianist Julia Gjertsen — and captured exquisitely the forlorn and evocative nature of his playing, and how well it paired with Gjertsen’s own gentle and reflective compositions.

I should’ve written the metaphor down as soon as it came to mind but I didn’t, reasoning that I’d definitely remember something so clever and original. Of course, now that I’m actually reviewing the album, I’ve completely forgotten the metaphor, and at the risk of sounding melodramatic, I’m just left haunted by a sense of loss and the memories of what might’ve been.

Which, come to think of it, is itself a pretty apt metaphor for Wandering Mind, Drifting Weather as a whole.

The result of a months-long exchange of ideas and recordings — Gjertsen lives in Norway, Davidsson in Sweden — Wandering Mind, Drifting Weather is a masterful album that straddles the lines between jazz, modern classical, and ambient with no apparent effort whatsoever. Sublime in their restraint and quietly devastating, the album’s eight songs find Gjertsen and Davidsson each the perfect complement for the other, and together creating something that’s so much more than the sum of its individual parts.

Gjertsen’s piano often serves as the base, and as evidenced by “Into the Rain” and “Mellomtiden,” her playing is elegant and refined, her melodies poignant and unassuming. Meanwhile, Davidsson’s trombone drifts about like thick, rain-heavy clouds or the dense fog pictured on the album’s cover. But rather than obscure, his breathy and wistful tones heighten the songs’ emotional aspect. Rounding out the album’s sonics are tasteful electronic treatments like those heard in “Black Cloud”’s final moments.

Much like their fellow Nordic musicians — e.g., Julia Andersson, Arve Henriksen, Ole-Bjørn Talstad, Otto Totland — Gjertsen and Davidsson’s music is well-suited for moments of quiet introspection. In other words, don’t be surprised if you find yourself desiring a mug of your favorite warm beverage and a window to stare out longingly upon pressing “Play.” That said, Davidsson’s somber notes and the music’s restrained nature imbues Wandering Mind, Drifting Weather with darker shadings that are probably more appropriate for late night listening sessions, when everyone else is asleep, you have the house to yourself, and you can truly revel in the solitude.