Consuming the Tangible

As recently as two weeks ago I had never heard of guitarist Hedvig Mollestad Thomassen, or the Hedvig Mollestad Trio. Now here I am with Bees in the Bonnet, and it’s one of my favorite records of the year. With albums stretching and blurring the lines between all manner of heavy rock, jazz, classical and experimental noise (I dove deep after falling for this), her latest might be the most “accessible” entryway to her work while simultaneously offering up exactly what makes her such a force in the guitar world. Trio telepathy reins supreme in this mix of six tunes, so let’s do the thing, shall we?

Active since 2011 and with seven previous releases under their belt (Thomassen also has a number of solo and collaborative releases as well), the trio is comprised of Thomassen on guitar, Ellen Brekken on bass, and Ivar Loe Bjørnstad on drums. The emphasis on Bees in the Bonnet is heavy on stoner instrumental rock, and opener “See See Bop” doesn’t let up with a massive riff, thudding in-your-face-drums and a fuzzed distortion on the bass that adds to the prodigious rumble. Thomassen’s tone is thick and syrupy, her solos lingering on certain notes, letting them extend to the point of feedback. But she’s more than adept at some flair; the opening of “Golden Griffin” amply showcasing her dexterity and tactfulness. It’s the track that reminds me the most of the 90s instrumental rock that flourished at the time, arrangement and melodically this could be something Satriani released in his prime days, although his tone would never be filled with such dirt.

Brekken, who co-wrote half the tracks with Thomassen has a huge, growling sound to her bass, and her connection with Bjørnstad’s drums are locked in tight. The middle section of “Golden Griffin” absolutely belongs to here, even as Thomassen solos along behind her. This is especially true for Bees in the Bonnet‘s middle section, perhaps my favorite section of the album. “Itta” is an absolutely crushing groove, disjointed and syncopated to allow the drums carry the swamp djent foreword in brusque bursts. But when Thomassen comes in it pulls back into Satriani territory with a beautifully melodic solo. I’m surprised on this listen how much Satriani comes to mind.

I don’t think Satrinai will be anyone’s first choice of reference on “Bob’s Your Giddy Aunt” which shocked me by being one of my favorite tracks on the album. Utilizing the production space and some jazz drumming Thomassen sculpts an ambient, experimental vibe that comes the closest to jazz, although it’s the kind of abstract collage that jars and disrupts, carefully held together by Brekken’s bass. When Thomassen joins her the ominous chords get more metal and foreboding, allowing the song to continue on this thrilling ascent until the track’s end where it collides in this monolithic slab of a rock riff.

It’s so good and heavy that the soft, delicate comedown of “Lamament” sparks a moment of confusion, although it highlights the fantastic recording. Produced by the band it was mixed and recorded by Bård Ingebrigsten who did a fantastic job capturing a live drum sound and letting the room really live in the recording. By the time closer “Apocalypse Slow” brings the psych/desert stoner influences back in, I’m thoroughly hooked and ready to flip the needle and start over.