Amalie Dahl’s Dafnie – Star Op Med Solen

One thing is for sure: Amalie Dahl’s Dafnie have a knack for good beginnings. The quintet introduced their debut album in 2022 with the track »Don’t get me started«—on which the Danish band leader immediately kicks in with her saxophone at full blast. The second album, »Står Op Med Solen«, now out on Sonic Transmissions and Aguirre, goes in the opposite direction. The opener captivates with a slowly building rhythm, followed by a beautiful, elegiac brass part. As befits a band from the Trondheim area, Dafnie sound as if they have made music out of various artistic forms.

But what makes »Står Op Med Solen« special is its audible exploration of all that is strange about tradition: it points to a kink in the acoustics of the ordinary and the familiar. This is particularly evident in the three songs of the same name as the album title, which form the dramaturgical framework. Supported by Veslemøy Narvesen’s exciting, eclectic percussion and Nicolas Leirtrø’s double bass, the horns strike out on solemnly effective themes, the restructuring of which is particularly effective in the quieter passages. »Står Op Med Solen« is an album that wants to be rooted in Norwegian contemporary jazz, but is able to articulate itself far beyond that.