Stereogum
Norwegian saxophonist Mette Henriette debuted on ECM with a two-CD self-titled album in 2015. The first disc contained 15 trio pieces with Johan Lindvall on piano and Katrine Schiøtt on cello, ranging in length from 54 seconds to four and a half minutes. The second disc brought in five additional string players, trumpet, trombone, bandoneon, drums and musical saw, and while a lot of the pieces were still very short, the whole thing — 20 tracks in just over an hour — added up to something really impressive. I immediately wanted to hear more from Mette Henriette. Well, I’ve only had to wait a little over seven years. Drifting returns to the trio interactions of the first half of her debut, with Lindvall back at the piano but Judith Lamann taking over on cello. Once again, concision is a big part of Henriette’s music; six of the 15 tracks here are under two minutes. “Drifting” lasts four, and feels like a chamber ballad, with Lamann slowly bowing long, droning notes as Lindvall keeps steady time from the piano. Henriette’s sound on the tenor sax is fragile and carefully considered, very much in the jazz tradition and even romantic.
— Phil Freeman, Stereogum