Katharsis: purification by shock or fear.

Few albums have a less well selected title, for if there is one thing that Janne Schaffer's Katharsis is not, this would be it.

Katharsis is extremely well played and smoothly produced, and mixes African and Arabic influences with jazz fusion.

Most of it is guitar-based, but never to the extent where it verges on masturbation, Schaffer is too disciplined, and maybe too humble, to fall into that trap.

This mix could have been exciting and funky.

It could even have been shocking, though that isn't necessary.

But instead, the entire album is very harmless.

Not bad, not for example like when Schaffer, in a collaboration with Björn Jason Lindh in the late '80s, produced something that could be branded Muzak.

It is just so very non-disturbing.

There is attitude in some songs, or soul if you prefer, but you have to look deep down, beneath the production and probably even beneath the intention: Buried so deep down, the attitude may be a leftover from Schaffer's first two solo albums, because on these he was something more than just nice.

Niceness may not be the worst of traits, but in Schaffer's case there seem to be corresponding curves through his career, where increasing kindness is followed by decreasing quality.