Hoven Droven - Groove (CD)

All Music Guide

This album compiles elements from Hoven Droven's 1994 album Hia Hia, and their 1996 effort Grov, with the addition of two live cuts. Grov (which means rough or coarse in Swedish) becomes Groove for the American audience. The album literally begins with the growling of a bear, and the music is as fuzzy, warm, and cuddly as a full-grown bear. While there have been fusions of Swedish traditional music with jazz and rock, there has never been a fusion like this before. Hoven Droven does for Swedish folk music what the Pogues did for Irish music. Their sound ranges from heavy metal-tinged to alt-rock to alt-jazz a la Bill Frisell, all mixed into a large pot of Swedish traditional music. There are even slight echoes of Oingo Boingo in "Slentbjenn." About half the selections are polskas; the rest is divided between hallings, waltzes, marches and other dance forms. Despite the strongly heavy metallish guitars, the traditional Swedish quality shines through. As if to emphasize their reverence f...or tradition, Hoven Droven includes excerpts from folk recordings made earlier in this century, which kick off "Ärepolska" and "Hia Hia Svärmor." The trills and ornamental patterns of Swedish melodies are now married to a head-banging beat. And your head is guaranteed to bang when you listen to this. - Megan Lynch, All Music Guide Read more Less