Fringe Magnetic: Twistic

(Loop Records)

Jamie Cullum makes a guest appearance here, but don’t be fooled into expecting anything else very Jamie-like (come to think of it, not even his own duet with Elisabeth Nygaard). Trumpeter Rory Simmons leads this eclectic band through a strange musical hinterland pitched somewhere between jazz and contemporary classical (both in idiom and instrumentation), with more than a touch of indie-pop and dance groove thrown in. Nygaard’s moody Nordic pop and Andrew Plummer’s Tom Waits-style growl add contrasting vocals to the mix. The combination can be hit-and-miss, but throws up some fascinating twists along the way.