Folkforum reviews Open Window, and it's raving!

"With the album Open Window Maalstroom proves it's one of the best folkbands in the Netherlands. With the quality of the band in mind, international success should be within hand's reach.

When Maalstroom first started with Brian Finnegan from Flook, Celtic influences dominated
the sound. Wim Poesen then introduced Flemish folkmusic to Maalstroom’s 2nd line-up.

First thing striking today is the fact that the group has been reduced again to a quartet.
Since flautist Wim Poesen and piano accordion player Peter van Os left the band, Maalstroom’s line-up today is as follows: Michel Duijves (clarinet, bass clarinet), Paul Pallesen (guitar, bouzouki), Job Cornelissen (vocals, percussion) and Gilles Rullmann (fiddle, guitar, background vocals).

Their 3rd CD Open Window was recorded in Haarlem, the house of Paul & Ineke Rullmann, Gilles’ parents, who used to be part of the legendary group Crackerhash.

Getting straight to the point: a surprising album which honours it’s name, Open Window.
It seems like musical influences from all over Europe have floated through the window in the Schotersingel-house in Haarlem and have been absorbed by the band as a whole.

The band becoming smaller has obviously had, as is often the case, a positive impact on the rest of the musicians. Because of the lack of bagpipes and flutes, the originally Celtic character of their music changed into a more continental sound, where Michel Duijves’ (bass)clarinet plays an important role. That’s why Edey’s Polka / The Strathnairn / Back Seat Polka sound more Eastern European than Celtic, in spite of the fact that they are composed by Irish folkmusicians.

Due to Wim Poesen’s departure there is less influence from Flemish folkmusic, on the other hand the band now ventures into Scandinavian music with Sorrow is a lonesome bluebird. Maalstroom discovered the English translation of this traditional wedding dance on an album by the Swedish group Hedningärna. Singer Job Cornelissen has a pleasantly light voice which reminds me slightly of Paul Brady’s voice from way back with Planxty. In Sorrow is a lonesome bluebird Job’s voice is subtly accompanied by Paul Pallesen’s bouzouki.

Gilles Rullmann is really in his element in the band. He and clarinettist Michel Duijves are responsible for most of the instrumentals on this album. Gilles impresses as a composer and fiddler in the broadly played Picus which he wrote for the 32nd birthday of his wife Barbara.
As happens regularly on this album, the ensemble of fiddle and clarinet in this tune solidly grips the listener’s attention.

The band exuberantly splashes about in Michel Duijves’ composition Invasion of Caterpillars / Wild Man of the Woods in which the fiddle slowly takes over the clarinet’s leading part. Maalstroom at it’s best!"

Assie Aukes
valuation 8.5