Meditations On Love. Susanna

With the single 'Everyone Knows' Norwegian singer-songwriter Susanna (Wallumrød) surprised me no little. I ended my review as follows: "It is so nice when an artist is able to surprise in such an unexpected yet very welcome way". With her new album Susanna just continued where she left off at the end 'Everyone Knows'.

This song is also the opening track of Meditations On Love. Its mysterious, somewhat jazzy atmosphere returns regularly on the album. The intriguing sounds suck me into the album and keep me there with ease. Meditations On Love is an album that begs listening to and deserves just that. Musically the mood is subdued, allowing all the instruments to be listened to. 'Everyone Knows' sets the tone, mood and theme of the album. Musically, the song is very elementary, although it contains one of widest arrangements on the album and thus far more instruments. From love's beginning and development, to love turned sour, unrequited and broken, and everything in between is the theme of the album, on which Susanna shares her reflections with us. All in a soft and distanced way, almost from the outside looking in.

The bare instrumental accompaniment puts the spotlight on Susanna's voice. She meanders over the music subtly demanding the listener to serious listen to her new work. Far more than on her recent piano based albums. It is a true delight to do so. In fact, as it were Meditations On Love would not exist if you do not pay attention. It will be over without someone realising it was played or remembering the stereo was put on at all. Unless played extremely loud of course, killing the album most likely. Meditations On Love is intimate, with a few musical surprises here and there preventing the listener from dropping away, keeping him/her close to the songs.

Promo photo

Another thought that crept up on me is, the music being played at a witches' convent.  Don't ask me why, the thought just put itself in my mind. This is a blog on music, so let me suffice with two points. 1) We do not live in a Terry Pratchett 'Discworld' novel and, 2) in Nathaniel Hawthorne's novel 'The Scarlet Letter' the Salem witch hunt stops right after the village's headman or mayor is accused of being a witch. For the rest I point to the rows of books written on the topic so you can make up your mind on witches should you wish to do so.

Overall, the feeling is of music being played in a late, late night bar where musicians are playing to themselves and the last remaining denizens of the night. Exploring a musical theme to see how far it will take them and honing it so it will work on record.

Reality appears a bit more mundane. Together with producer Juhani Silvola, she worked in the studio on her compositions that she had been writing since 2018. Only when needed other musicians were let in to add percussion and mostly softly played instruments. All together Meditations On Love's songs are spell-binding. Musically, Susanna has struck the motherload and the album's impact on me is far beyond my expectations. Simply a top album.

Wout de Natris - van den Borght

You can listen to and order Meditations on Love here:

https://susannamagical.bandcamp.com/album/meditations-on-love

We Wither, We Bloom. The Northern Belle

Noorse rootsmuziek is meestal nogal donker en zwaarmoedig, maar de muziek van The Northern Belle klinkt verrassend licht en zonnig en is ook nog eens van een hoog niveau.

Zonder een Amerikaans jaarlijstje had ik We Wither, We Bloom van The Northern Bell waarschijnlijk nooit ontdekt, maar direct bij eerste beluistering was ik overtuigd van de muziek van de band uit Oslo. The Northern Belle sluit enerzijds aan bij de Amerikaanse folk en country, maar de band is ook niet vies van een wat meer pop georiënteerd geluid met hier en daar een vleugje 70s Fleetwood Mac. Zeker voor Noorse begrippen klinkt het verrassend licht en zonnig, zeker wanneer aanstekelijke gitaarakkoorden het geluid op We Wither, We Bloom bepalen. Ik had tot voor kort nog nooit van de band gehoord, maar de eerste kennismaking is een bijzonder aangename.

Ook We Wither, We Bloom van The Northern Belle haalde ik uit een jaarlijstje met voornamelijk rootsalbums. Het is een album dat ik vorig jaar niet ben tegengekomen, maar het derde album van de Noorse band is absoluut de moeite waard. 

The Northern Belle maakt op We Wither, We Bloom geen geheim van de liefde voor country en folk, maar de band uit Oslo klinkt meestal niet als een doorsnee rootsband. Waar Scandinavische bands vaak een voorkeur hebben voor behoorlijk donkere popmuziek, strooit The Northern Belle driftig met zonnestralen. 

We Wither, We Bloom staat vol met heerlijke gitaarloopjes die het verlangen naar de zomer aanwakkeren en grossiert ook in aanstekelijke popliedjes die al even makkelijk de winter verdrijven. Zeker de wat meer uptempo songs op het album bevatten flink wat invloeden uit de pop, maar The Northern Belle kiest zo nu en dan ook voor meer ingetogen songs die dichter tegen de pure folk en country aan kruipen. 

Dat We Wither, We Bloom niet erg Scandinavisch klinkt is overigens niet zo gek. Zangeres Stine Andreassen schreef de teksten van de songs voor het derde album van haar band toen ze in Nashville, Tennessee, verbleef. 

Deze Stine Andreassen was niet alleen verantwoordelijk voor de teksten, maar bepaalt met haar aangename stem ook voor een belangrijk deel het geluid van de band. Het is een stem die folky kan klinken, maar die ook heel goed uit de voeten kan met de wat lichtvoetigere en meer pop georiënteerde songs op het album. 

Samen met de rest van de band tekende Stine Andreassen voor de muziek op We Wither, We Bloom en ook die is dik in orde. The Northern Belle kent de klassiekers uit Nashville, maar verrijkt haar rootsy geluid hier en daar met heerlijk zonnig klinkende gitaren. 

Dat klinkt onweerstaanbaar lekker, maar ook als de zonnige klanken tijdelijk worden verruild voor een soberder en stemmiger geluid valt de muziek van The Northern Belle in positieve zin op door mooie arrangementen en smaakvolle accenten. De Noorse band kan bovendien uit de voeten met zowel meer ingetogen als wat stevigere songs, waardoor We Wither, We Bloom een lekker veelzijdig album is. 

Rootspuristen vinden het waarschijnlijk net wat teveel pop, maar persoonlijk ben ik zeer gecharmeerd van het geluid van The Northern Belle en zeker van de stem van Stine Andreassen, die de songs op We Wither, We Bloom stuk voor stuk voorziet van het beetje extra dat nodig is om op te vallen binnen het enorme aanbod in het genre. 

Het derde album van de band uit Oslo is ook nog eens een groeiplaatje, want zowel de rootsy songs als de songs met vooral invloeden uit de pop met hier en daar een vleugje Fleetwood Mac uit de jaren 70, worden nog lange tijd beter, interessanter en zeker ook aangenamer. 

Het is niet veel Scandinavische bands gegeven om potten te breken in de thuisbasis van de Amerikaanse rootsmuziek, maar We Wither, We Bloom kon vorig jaar rekenen op goede recensies in de Verenigde Staten en wist dus zelfs een keer een gerespecteerd jaarlijstje te halen. Ik begrijp het wel, want iedere keer als ik luister naar dit aangename album word ik er weer wat vrolijker van en hoor ik nog meer moois in de muziek van The Northern Belle.

Erwin Zijleman

Je kunt We Wither, We Bloom hier luisteren en bestellen:

https://thenorthernbelle.bandcamp.com/album/we-wither-we-bloom

 

of luister naar onze Spotify Playlist om uit te vinden waar we over schrijven:

https://open.spotify.com/user/glazu53/playlist/6R9FgPd2btrMuMaIrYeCh6?si=KI6LzLaAS5K-wsez5oSO2g

 

 

How Beauty Holds The Hand Of Sorrow. Ane Brun

With her previous album, now about one month old, Ane Brun really came into my life. We had no musical click whatsoever , but.with 'After The Great Storm' we had. As it was an atypical album for her, electronics as a large chunk of the album, that did not put my hopes op high for How Beauty Holds The Hand Of Sorrow. It amazed me from the very first sounds though.

It is also an album I have difficulty finding the right words for in writing. It is so solemn, so serious, that I do not really know where to start. An obvious start is that the songs all hold an internal beauty. Ane Brun has stripped nearly all away and presents the bare essence of her compositions. This results in small silences that need no filling. Listen to the opening song. 'Last Breath' is as painful as it sounds. Sparse piano notes are adorned by a string section. The arrangement allows for silences in between. No little melodies that flourish in between here. "I held your last breath within my chest", for the few fleeting moments when she has to exhale again, I notice thinking. A moment of extreme intimacy but also finality. It is that kind of album. One that goes well beyond the daily normalities of boy meets girl or whatever.

'Closer' is even darker. After a beautiful piano intro Brun sings: "When you're in your darkest hour, when you think you'll never recover..." falling further down and down, to return with an alternative towards the light: "you will grow ... you'll be fine". I have the idea to hear "closure" and not "closer". Closure would fit better with the mourning following "Last Breath".

With How Beauty Holds ... Ane Brun comes close to the music her Norwegian colleague Susanna presented on her fully solo album of this year 'Beaudelaire & Piano'. Ane Brun allows a string section on the album but keyboards are the main instrument here. The result is music that makes me introspective. I'm reminded of situations I do not necessarily want to be reminded off.

Having said that 'Song For Thrill And Tom' starts and makes me even more melancholy. Ane Brun is singing in my ear, only for me. A glimpse of her previous record pulses in my ear, a choir sings along and creates an almost mystical atmosphere. This is beauty alright and a tip for the Kairos radio show for sure.

In 'Meet You At The Delta' a guitar (acoustic) sounds for the first time on the album. It doesn't change anything in the mood of How Beauty Holds ... . This is an album between Ane Brun and her listeners. The only way to truly connect with it, is to be alone and play it loud enough, perfectly seated in between the speakers or through a head phone. In the middle you will find Ms. Brun singing as if only for you and no one else.

There follow five more songs on How Beauty Holds The Hand Of Sorrow. Listen to them also, you will not be disappointed. You will even hear the first percussion! For someone who could not find the right words, it's time to stop writing and hand over.

Wo.

You can listen to and order the album here:

https://balloonrangerrecordings.bandcamp.com/album/how-beauty-holds-the-hand-of-sorrow

or listen to our Spotify Playlist to find out what we are writing about:

https://open.spotify.com/user/glazu53/playlist/6R9FgPd2btrMuMaIrYeCh6?si=KI6LzLaAS5K-wsez5oSO2g

Baudelaire & Piano. Susanna

Baudelaire & Piano & Susanna would have been the correct title for this album, as that is exactly what it is. The poems of Charles Baudelaire, translated to English by Anthony Mortimer and adapted to songlyrics sung by Susanna and played by her on a piano. That is all there is. This results in a serious album that is quite binary in the option it offers: either you take the time to spend time with it or you don't. I have and can tip everyone to do so.

Charles Baudelaire was a French poet from the middle of the 19th century. For me he's a name as I don't read poetry. It simply doesn't reach me. For someone like Patti Smith that's different. She travelled to his grave in France and spent time there. A man with a troubled, bohémien life who died prematurely, even for the 19th century, at the age of 46.

Susanna is Norwegian singer Susanna Karolina Wallumrød, who under the name Susanna since 2004 has released a string of records. The last one under the name Susanna and The Brotherhood of Our Lady, that was reviewed on this blog. (I would have like to write something on the piano but do not have any information.) 'Flower Of Evil' is the name of her fourth album, filled with cover songs ranging from ABBA to Harry Nilsson, so there was a link to Baudelaire before this album.

Susanna found the inspiration for this album in Baudelaire's most famous work 'Les Fleurs Du Mal' or 'The Flowers of Evil'. It results in a piece of work that is as serious as it is sincere. Susanna lends her beautiful voice to ten completely bare compositions in which there is no hiding for her. Her voice leads the way. The piano is only there as an accompanying instrument and nothing else. It never takes the lead anywhere, except as an intro.

This voice is worthwhile listening and to spend time with. The result is minutes spent in a musical cocoon, where Susanna is the guiding light and star. Her voice soothes and caresses me for a short while and there is nothing else left. There's no need for thought or other cares. Just my brain and Susanna's voice and piano playing. At times it is enough. And no, I will not play Baudelaire & Piano every day. Simply because the time to do so with the intensity that is needed, is simply not available to me that often. When I do however, it is time extremely well spent. There's beauty and there's beauty. I'll let you decide in which category Baudelaire & Piano falls.

Wo.


Listen to our Spotify Playlist to find out what we are writing about:

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The All Is One. Motorpsycho

Once again, the beautiful artwork. Three albums in a row, showing that the band sees 'The Tower', 'The Crucible' and now The All is One as a consistent whole. Musically this certainly is the case. To be honest, I have a hard time to keep the individual songs apart when not listening to one of the albums.

Having said that, once again Motorpsycho washes over me as a musical tsunami. The force of the music is all encompassing, a brick wall stopping all else. On The All Is One Motorpsycho plays a few songs of force and length but there are also songs that are shorten and tender. In that sense the album becomes a modern day symphony. Only the returning theme is missing.

The All Is One is a huge piece of work. It is almost too much to take in in one go. Fans of the band will not be disappointed for one second, because everything that makes the band great is in here and at a high level of musicianship and inspiration to boot. Every little corner of a composition is explored, turned inside out, only to be reinvented once again. In the background "new" drummer Tomas Järmyr lays down a formidable foundation. The word background is to be taken in a very relative way on The All Is One. Järmyr plays in a relentless way, never tiring it seems as if drumming in such a powerful way does not cost any exertion. Like Joppe Molenaar in Bettie Serveert, Järmyr has given Motorpsycho a whole new leash on its musical life it seems. Over his drumming founding members Saether and Ryan can do all they like on guitar, bass, keyboards. And do, of course.

This is only one side to the band. Somehow Motorpsycho is able to produce the softest of songs as well, almost in a West Coast, CSNY kind of way with multi-layered harmonies. On The All Is One the experiment is taken to some softer passages as well, making them much more intriguing. This leads to a powerful Motorpsycho ballad like 'Dreams Of Fancy'. The dynamics in the song are just great and shows that Thomas Järmyr is able to show ultimate restraint, not playing at all, only to come back double when released giving tremendous power to some passages.

Fans of Motorpsycho all know this for years. How to get the multitudes to go and watch the band and come home with a stack of albums? It's a question I do not have an answer to. I am however convinced that there are more fans of this kind of music than those who have found the band so far. An only half, perhaps three quarters tops filled a smaller venue in Alkmaar two years ago attests to that notion. The band offers great powerful songs and a few beautiful ballads. It presents great, inspirational soloing that literally never bores me (and I am one for shorter powerful songs in general). So getting on the radio in the right programs is one prerequisite to grow. Shows where rock fans from 15 to 80 listen to. There will be room for great songs, even if they last close to 10 minutes.

With The All Is One Motorpsycho has added another great album to its oeuvre. The album holds all that makes the band so great. Working, playing and writing together for over 30 years, Motorpsycho has found out long ago where it is good at. The fact that the new album sounds so inspired and simply holding great songs, attests to the fact that the trio is still soaring high at the pinnacle of its talents. It even surprised me in part.

What the true value of The All Is One is time will have to tell. My first impression is that of a monumental album. How many bands can show such a verdict after being in business for 30 years? Motorpsycho can, for three studio albums in a row now.

Wo.

You can order The All Is One here:

https://www.stickman-records.com/shop/motorpsycho-the-all-is-one/


or listen to our Spotify Playlist to find out what we are writing about:

https://open.spotify.com/user/glazu53/playlist/6R9FgPd2btrMuMaIrYeCh6?si=KI6LzLaAS5K-wsez5oSO2g

A Temporary Soothing. Siv Jakobsen

It is almost three years to the day that I wrote about Siv Jacobsen's debut album 'The Nordic Mellow'. I ended it with words on how high the bar was put for her to jump over. She's jumping so I better start listening.

My initial response to A Temporary Soothing seems to have been the same as with 'The Nordic Mellow', I just did not hear a lot happening. Songs that sort of dragged themselves forward without anything setting them apart in any way.

My memory told me to pay attention any way, so I did and, once again, a rich world opened itself. Siv Jakobsen surrounds herself with subtle accompaniment that has little to do with modern music. All sorts of traditional, acoustic instruments envelope her voice. 'Fraud, Failure' has a full Celtic treatment, without becoming a traditional, Irish folk song in any way. This is Siv Jakobsen's song the whole way.

The result is a mixture of under cooled, Nordic singing and a warm environment that comes from, moderately warmer climes than Norway, her home country. An album to pay attention to, there's no other way to get truly acquainted to it. Listening is an absolute must. From that moment on a whole world opens itself to you.

Together with producer Chris Bond (Ben Howard) she recorded the songs she'd written in the winter after touring behind her debut album across the globe, in two sessions. In the songs she reflects on her life and experiences so far. This makes it a personal album and it's not difficult to gather the intimacy that comes with topics close to someone. Bond has put that cloak of intimacy expertly around the 12 songs on A Temporary Soothing.

Promo photo: Jørgen Nordby

What a strange title for this album. The warmth coming from it, contradicting the Oslo winter of writing, is a soothing for life for those willing to listen and appreciate it for what it is, a beautiful album. The songs on the album started with Siv Jakobsen musing about the concept that she must be a sad person as she writes sad songs. And that when people meet her they are surprised to meet a happy person.

Personally I do not take these songs as sad. They are serious, extremely serious in some cases, but not downcast. In fact the warmth that comes from them lifts me up. The beauty forces me to shake off the rest of the world for a while. By allowing myself to do this I can enter Siv Jakobsen's musical world and truly enjoy it. Most songs are of an exquisite delicateness, where singer and listener can merge as much as possible.

All this makes A Temporary Soothing an album for special times and not for all moments of the day. In those special moments it will excel and grow and grow. Nordic beauty indeed.

Wo.

You can listen to and order A Temporary Soothing here:

https://sivjakobsen.bandcamp.com/album/a-temporary-soothing


or listen to our Spotify Playlist to find out what we are writing about:

https://open.spotify.com/user/glazu53/playlist/6R9FgPd2btrMuMaIrYeCh6?si=KI6LzLaAS5K-wsez5oSO2g

Prepared For A Nightmare. Mayflower Madame

Another band from Norway, Oslo to be precise, enters WoNoBlog. Mayflower Madame is a trio that has been around since 2011. Prepared For A Nightmare is the band's second full length album after 'Observed In A Dream' (2016) and the EP 'Premonition' (2018). Musically it is more in line with bands from the early to mid 80s and neo-psych bands like The Black Angels than with personal favourites from Norway like Madrugada, Soup or Motorpsycho. Let alone Kaizers Orchestra.

There's a reverb and a little delay on nearly everything on this album. The music is as such not even that dark, it is the tone of voice of singer Trond Fagernes that defines most of the darkish atmosphere in the album. Lighter for sure than Robert Smith and The Cure in their most depressing period, 'Faith' and 'Pornography'. Fans of that period of the band will find something to get used to on Mayflower Madame's new album.

For me the music goes a step further than The Cure ever did. It is somewhat louder and tighter, but also upbeat. The classic synth sound in 'Swallow' e.g. gives the song a piece of fog touched by a street lantern. It needs to be observed that there is nothing new on Prepared For A Nightmare. It has all been said and done before and in some cases better. Having that out of the way, I can observe that the Norwegian trio, Havård Haga (guitars) and Ola J. Kyrkjeeide (drums), certainly knows how to use examples of things that came before and turn them into strong new songs.

In the background Kyrkjeeide pounds his drums. The guitars are a different set. Of course the bass takes care of the deep end but has to fill in a large aspects of the musical spectrum. The lead guitar is light in sound and plays arpeggiated notes. In the background there's almost always a few guitars spewing out dark chords, creating a very layered sound. As an extra a synth is added at times creating worthwhile extras at that.

Promo photo: Sven Santelmann

Prepared For A Nightmare is not an album for all days/times. I definitely have to be in the mood to undergo a load of darkness for this long. In part this has to do with the one mood the album is largely played out in. Some variation could have helped here. The mood is very consistent over the record. Long Norwegian winter nights are certainly reflected on in the music.

So it is nice to hear the variation worked into 'Endless Shimmer' and the synths woven into the song. Little extra layers built into the music. Also the singing is mixed more prominently than in other songs, making 'Endless Shimmer' stick out immediately.

Reading up on the review so far, I decided to park it for a few days and do a test. I started the album somewhere in its second half to see what the effect of the music would be on me. I find 'Goldmine' instantly good to listen to. So my conclusion has to be that the music Mayflower Madame presents is too much of a good thing for me. Only to be digested in smaller portions. Then it works really well for me.

Wo.

You can listen to and buy Prepared For A Nightmare here:

https://mayflowermadame.bandcamp.com/album/prepared-for-a-nightmare


or listen to our Spotify Playlist to find out what we are writing about:

https://open.spotify.com/user/glazu53/playlist/6R9FgPd2btrMuMaIrYeCh6?si=KI6LzLaAS5K-wsez5oSO2g

A Space For Lost Time. Anna Ternheim

The short version of this review is: girl with nice voice releases nice album. It does completely right to the album on offer. In fact the review hardly needs to be much longer. Why? Find out by reading on.

Anna Ternheim is from Norway and releases her seventh album. (Seven, for me the first though.) She makes it known in the bio that her goal was to produce a sparse album. That is up to debate as far as I'm concerned, but this could be a sparse album by Ms. Ternheim's standards of course. I have no way of telling and no time to find out.

She wrote the album together with Bjorn Yttling, adding the lyrics at a later stage. What I notice is that the album has a First Aid Kit flavour in the more up tempo songs. These songs are not so much sparse as devoid of frivolities. The softer songs or sweet sour ballads all have a keyboard/synth undertone, softly filling up the mix. Anna Ternheim's voice is able to float over it as it were, like the mist over a field in the early morning just before sunrise. Just like she seems to stand on water for that matter.

It is the mix between the two sort of songs that makes A Space For Lost Time an attractive album. It is far from spectacular. As that was exactly not the intention, the mission of Anna Ternheim has fully succeeded. The sparseness leaves out many details that a producer would have added normally, showing his arranging ideas/skills, draws the attention to the quality of the songs and the voice of the singer. Both are more than okay. In fact, I like listening to this album. And that is what it comes down to, doesn't it? And why I do not need to write more.

Wo.


Listen to our Spotify Playlist to find out what we are writing about:

https://open.spotify.com/user/glazu53/playlist/6R9FgPd2btrMuMaIrYeCh6?si=KI6LzLaAS5K-wsez5oSO2g

Garden Of Earthly Delights. Susanna & The Brotherhood of Our Lady

There are albums that are easy to endear to and albums that I instantly dislike with no change at repair. And then there is a third category, an album that makes you work for your money. That is where Garden Of Earthly Delights can be found. The kind of album worthy of finding itself on the tracklist of a Kairos show on Concertzender.

On her 13th album, and this is my first, Susanna lays down a mysterious world where her voice is central to all else. And that else easily might mean hardly anything else. If the sounds had not been as modern in sound this record could have been centuries old. The chant of a primitive people in the backwoods of Norway fighting off the winter cold, hardships, angry gods and darkness with their singing.

It is all but. This is the modern world alright where sounds are manipulated, nothing is what it seems, except the voice of Susanna. She purports to live near a magical place, Jheronimus Bosch's garden of earthly delights. She looks over the fence at night. What she sees is determined strongly by the answer to the question on which side of the garden she lives. Light or darkness, joy or peril? I can imagine her standing there for hours on end, watching in awe of all that passes in front of her, safe behind her fence. This masterpiece of Medieval painting by one of the most mysterious painters of all in reality hangs in Madrid's Prado museum where I looked for minutes on end, loosing all sense of time and place, just looking at this marvel with its hundreds of small details.

Promo photo: Signe Fuglesteg Luksengard

For her new album Susanna took her inspiration from Bosch's paintings. This leads to a musical mystery wonder land. Strange electronic noises fill my ears, while in others angelic voices sing together. Although the basis of the song may be just a simple sounding riff or a few chords, they are only the starting point for the electronic treatment the atmosphere of the song undergoes, the work of Helge Sten, who is a regular musical partner of Susanna and herself.

The Brotherhood of Our Lady is a new band accompanying Susanna. Named after the society in St. Jan's cathedral in Den Bosch that supported Jheronimus Bosch, this band supports Susanna. Although it totally unclear to me who plays what on this record, the contributions are listed.

To me it is inconsequential. All in all Garden Of Earthly Delights is as mysterious as the painting is. Nothing is what it seems. Some songs are more straightforward than others. Somewhere there is a folk element like in 'Wilderness'. The song is nothing but a reference point to the more experimental elements constituting the album. There may be a Gothic element in the singing. Above all Garden Of Earthly Delights is an adventure. In listening and in the making, I presume. As soon as conventional song structures are abandoned by Susanna and collaborators, anything is possible. And that goes wide and far. It makes for hard but extremely interesting listening, including quality. And that is not a given where music and experiment goes.

Wo.

You can buy Garden Of Earthly Delights here:

http://susannasonata.com/product/garden-of-earthly-delights-susanna-the-brotherhood-of-our-lady-cd-vinyl/


or listen to our Spotify Playlist to find out what we are writing about:

https://open.spotify.com/user/glazu53/playlist/6R9FgPd2btrMuMaIrYeCh6?si=KI6LzLaAS5K-wsez5oSO2g

The Crucible. Motorpsycho

Looking at the cover art, it is clear that Motorpsycho sees a link between its previous album 'The Tower' and its new album The Crucible. The art has some resemblance as latter day Hieronymus Bosch paintings.

'The Tower' held several long, part experimental, part song structured compositions. The Crucible holds three long compositions in the same vein. Melodic, vocal passages alternate with long jams where a theme is explored on guitar, bass or keyboard while the drums pound away in the "background".

My very first impression is Motorpsycho presents itself as a powerhouse on its latest song collection. Another word is simply, wow. The high level of musicianship the Trondheim based band displayed on its previous album is easily maintained here. The combination of song and exploration again is presented so strong that its easy to conclude that the dip I noticed say around 2010 is totally gone.

Motorpsycho is releasing records for nearly 30 years. The band came into my life with 'Let Them Eat Cake', that I did not buy first time around. It was 'Phanerothyme' I bought a year later and came back to 'Let Them Eat Cake' any way. Since then I followed the band for most of the years up to circa 2010, to return with 'Heavy Monsters', albeit reluctantly. 'The Tower' really brought me back, including the fantastic show in Alkmaar last year. Full of enormous power and energy.

That is exactly what The Crucible offers to Motorpsycho fans. The album offers it in abundance. Of course there are no surprises. The trio does what it is good at. Think up a basic melody and hunt it down in the studio until it holds no more surprises; at least until they reincarnate live. There totally new vantage points could be discovered any way.

In a way the metal sounding opening of The Crucible is a surprise. 'Psychotzar' opens extremely loud. A huge guitar riff opens the album, a mellotron softens it just a little, but not a lot. Motorpsycho explores classic rock in its own style. There's no other word for it. 'Psychotzar' is no Deep Purple nor Led Zeppelin. This is what comes out though after this kind of music has gone through the Motorpsycho blender. Loud, fierce, solid, with always a melody around that only Motorpsycho can come up with. There're so many guitars flying about. Hans Magnus Ryan must have taken out his whole collection and stuck them in here one by one. The bass amp almost explodes under all the effects put on it by Bent Saether. After six minutes into the song there's even an interlude. Soft and ever getting louder, until the riffing starts all over again. Solid like a rock formation 'Psychotzar' is.

In 'Lux Aeterna' something surprising happens. The twists in the song sound just like Soup played on its latest studio album, 'Remedies'. Something not too strange as both bands come from the same city in Norway. It provides 'Lux Aeterna' with a little air as this composition has some extreme sides. It starts off ever so softly though. The CSN side to Motorpsycho gets aired here. Just an acoustic guitar and a voice. Slowly the song gets bigger, smaller, while the Mellotron gets a high place, especially in the 'Soup' section. Then the extreme and fast side breaks loose. Drummer Tomas Järmyr can really go full out in this almost jazz rock like interlude. There's devils and hellhounds on the tail of the whole band here. After the narrow escape all crash to the floor panting and puffing in what is one of the highlights of The Crucible. Not just because of the contrast between the two instrumental sequences, no, because it is so powerful, so melodic and extremely strong. The switch back to the acoustic CSN side is almost impossible and can only happen by letting all the noise die out, "to take the pain away", as the band sings. The Soup like sequence ends it all in grand fashion. 'Lux Aeterna' is another highlight in Motorpsycho's career and should be a great addition live. From darkness to eternal light indeed.

The third song is nearly 21 minutes long. 'The Crucible' shoots out of the grooves instantly. Follow it and again you will be surprised by all the twists and turns the band lays into the long composition. The only thing against it and this is extremely relative, is that it holds no surprises. This is a 100% Motorpsycho song, like they ought to be.

Recently I have started listening to the early albums of Dutch symphonic rockers Earth & Fire and Focus. Several parts of the music on The Crucible remind me of what I've heard on albums like 'Focus II' and 'Songs Of The Marching Children' and 'Atlantis'. Motorpsycho is able and willing to be far more extreme in its choices, but also to tap on nearly 50 years of experience in sympho and prog. Knowledge it obviously uses to its great advantage and turn it into a unique beast of its own. Motorpsycho is not the inventor, but the magician's pupil that regularly outshines its master effortlessly. The Crucible is another highlight in Motorpsycho's vast oeuvre.

Wo.

You can buy The Crucible here:

https://www.stickman-records.com/shop/motorpsycho-the-crucible/


or listen to our Spotify Playlist to find out what we are writing about:

https://open.spotify.com/user/glazu53/playlist/6R9FgPd2btrMuMaIrYeCh6?si=KI6LzLaAS5K-wsez5oSO2g

Motorpsycho Live. Victorie, Alkmaar, Wednesday 18 April 2018

Photo: Wo.

Ever since hearing 'The Tower', Motorpsycho's latest album, I have been looking forward to going to this show. It has been a long while since I saw the band last. Probably 2001-02. Nighttown in Rotterdam was still a venue to play for bands this seize. In coming up close to two decades since then we have all, band and a considerable part of the audience, become men of a certain age. Not old, but certainly no longer young. What is not stopping us from rocking out.

And that is a very funny thing I noticed straight away. There are distinct differences in how certain parts of the audience moves. I was under the impression that it gave away from what angle of musical favourites these people come, where their preferences lie. Why? Motorpsycho plays a hybrid of music. Equal parts metal/grunge, prog and melodic westcoast pop and rock, although the latter is snowed under more during a live show. Despite the at times nearly unrelenting loudness, the band never forgets the melodies. So it is that why, in my opinion, one part of the audience is moving their heads forwards and backwards and another part is swaying sideways, partially dancing. Including yours truly.

Eight p.m. sharp the band walked on stage. Almost a bit uncertain, as if the audience may not recognise them. With the dj still playing his tracks as if he was the main show. A soft hello, a right arm raised and the band kicked off a storm that was to last for over two and a half hours. Somewhere during the first hour, with songs going to 10 minutes or effortless moving into the next one without a stop, I asked myself is this music good? Or beautiful? I came to a bit strange answer for myself. These questions were totally beside the point. Motorpsycho live is a near total body experience. Whether a song is super melodic or is based on an (extremely) uncomfortable riff, that is the moment the band starts to take off on explorations of the inner structure of the song perhaps for the inner soul of the musicians showing their true selves through the notes and tempo changes that result from it. The guest guitarist and keyboard player, I did not catch his name but it may have been Kristopher, looked for cues at some points in songs, compositions may be a better word in some cases, to catch the moments that defined them. The result being that almost all songs show their beauty no matter what.

Each song is built up from small parts. I was listening in awe to see how the individual musicians were trying to stretch those confinements or to experiment with how many notes or fills could be squeezed into these little segments, never failing to come out at the exactly right moment. In other words, these restraints did not seem to exist for them.

The other moments I was in awe, is how well this band manages the dynamics within songs/jams. It never fails to impress and send shivers down my spine to hear a song be taken down into a very melodic part, with yet another effect on the guitar and/or keyboard, changing the whole world basically. Truly impressive how this band works together towards a total experience.

Spot the guitar tech!

Drummer Tomas Järmyr, only on board for two years, really showed what he was worth. At times every individual hit he made on a skin or cymbal could be heard in the mix so clearly. When he thought to make the bassdrum the driving rhythm in one of the songs, instead of the hi-hat, he may have been over-confident. Yet it looked like it took no effort at all to keep that rhythm going with his foot and leg. Fact is it gave the song a total different feel from all the other songs (in general as well). It looked gruelling having to keep this pace.

There was one downside to the show, it was at times too loud. It interfered with my hearing properly and resulted in a permanent high note in my ears that I am sure the band was not producing. It also prevents the lyrics from being heard, which, I suppose, is an important part of the package Motorpsycho is producing for us. So why prevent us from truly hearing them?

For the rest, what a show. An impressive two and a half hours of great music, in a venue I hadn't been to before. De Victorie is a fine venue I must say and totally new it seems. If the train connections worked just this bit better, it might be perfect. I already found a solution to that (not being a car). In other words, you may see me again sometime soon.

Was it me or did Bent joke at the end, introducing him and Snah the other way around? That gives his "my best friend" quite a different angle as well! Communication other than through music is not Motorpsycho's aim nor forte. The best one was Bent introducing: "This is about", fall silent, never finishing his intended comment. The music compensates and tells all.

(All photo's by) Wo.


Here's the link to our Spotify Playlist to find out what we are writing about:

https://open.spotify.com/user/glazu53/playlist/6R9FgPd2btrMuMaIrYeCh6?si=KI6LzLaAS5K-wsez5oSO2g

The Tower. Motorpsycho

What was my first Motorpsycho album? I remember listening to 'Let Them Eat Cake' and not liking it enough to spend money on the album. My first cd became 'Phanerothyme'. An album from 2001. By then the band had been releasing albums for 10 years and in the mean time we have progressed another 16 years. Again a double album is released by the band on which it goes all out in songs of over 10 minutes and manages to keep things concise that is under of around 7 minutes and twice managing under four. Through the years I've always liked the concise Motorpsycho better. So how do I fare with The Tower?

The first thing I notice when going through the album for the first time is the enormous energy the Norwegian have put into the album and managed to share with its listeners to. The enthusiasm of the band is bordering on overload. The Tower bursts with ideas, time changes, solos and double tracked vocals. It is impossible to not pay attention to what Motorpsycho is doing here.

When I read the the title of the album, I was reminded of something else, of 'In Your Life' of the band called The Tower, the vehicle of Boudewijn de Groot when he decided to switch to English. The single is obscure yet fantastic and in my life for nearly half a century. Is there a similarity? If there is it's in the psychedelic undertones in both.

Motorpsycho is rocking out at its loudest here. In all the opening songs there is no hanging back for a second. New drummer Thomas Järmyr must have found out very soon why he was asked to join the band. There's no rest for him.

The gas comes off in 'Intrepid Explorer'. A slow psychedelic outing starts the song until Bent Saether's bass takes over and starts tolling out a rhythm that is slowly picked up by Järmyr and allowing Hans Magnus Ryan to start filling in things with his guitar. There's some synths involved. Slowly 'Intrepid Explorer' is building up and keeps expanding until it bursts at the seams. One long drawn out note and one chord over which lead notes are played, while drums and bass are rocking out ever louder, faster and more impressive. We're on a road to the unknown, but by then nobody cares. Either the groove has gotten you in a trance or you left this expedition screaming. The song ends with a return to the 60s psychedelia. Everything in between was unthinkable at the time.Even with all these substances around. 'Intrepid Explorer' is 50 years of musical and studio/recording development for you.

CSNY? Why not. Like on 'Phanerothyme' a nod to past heroes can be found here. 'Stardust' is as small as Motorpsycho can become. Some beautiful harmonising like on the first two albums of CSN(&Y) shows how well these guys can sing together. An acoustic guitar and a mellotron like sound fill in the rest. No drums in sight. Just plain beautiful and a great counterpoint to what came before and explodes right after.

'In Every Dream Home (There's A Dreamer)'. A fiery riff propulses the song forward. It's like The KLF sang in that weird hit "Going going forward 'cause we can't find reverse". If anyone is loaded here it's Frank Zappa. Hear the bass riff and the slightly off course guitar solo. The difference is in the melody. Motorpsycho lets in the rock element much more. And Zappa hated hippies, with Motorpsycho that is definitely different. The hippie element is always somewhere around waiting to be let in to a song.

I've listened to the 6th song now. The two longest songs still have to come by then. Together they last half an hour. (With 11 minutes for two more songs.) I arrive at 'The Maypole', one of the two three minutes something songs. Again a quieter, more delicate affair. Acoustic at heart with a pop melody. Something like 'I'd Like To Teach The World To Sing'. Yes, I'm exaggerating a little here, of course, but not a lot. It shows the versatility of this band.

The longest track on the album 'A Pacific Sonata' starts just as quietly as 'Stardust'. To my surprise I'm listening again to a tranquil song with some great harmonising. Like a Pacific holiday the composition is full of sand beaches, coconut trees and warm sea water. David Crosby used to own a schooner. It seems to me I know who owns it in 2017. I can't blame Ryan and Saether to swap the dismal Norwegian west coast for warmer climes every once in a while. After 8.30 minutes the song changes, but the point was made by then.

It all ends with 'Ship Of Fools', another nearly 15 minute song. The Tower goes out with one big bang: "Never surrender". No way, when a song has an impact like 'Ship Of Fools'. The icing on the cake, the weather vane on top of the tower.

What is a strange experience, also somewhat sobering is the following. After writing the core of this review, I put on the new record of the French band Garciaphone, 'Dreameater', released on the small Dutch label Tiny Room Records. The music is described as slowcore. It has an uncanny likeness to the music on The Tower if; I strip all the bombast from it in my mind. Strange but very true (read on here, if you like to learn more: http://wonomagazine.blogspot.nl/2017/11/dreameater-garciaphone.html).

"There's a singer for every song" Motorpsycho sings in 'A.F.S.E.'. That may be, but I'd say it is all quite unique what is going on on The Tower. Overkill may be before the corner. What an overkill it is. When I'm in the right mood for The Tower, the album is simply stunning. There's so much to discover, so many layers on this record that it will keep me busy for a while. 'Here Be Monsters' was a comeback in my eyes, as I had stopped listening to new records since circa 2010. 2017 is the best year yet it may well prove to be for Motorpsycho and Norwegian progrock in general, with Soup's latest album 'Remedies' lauded on this blog recently. It's time for me to turn The Tower on again.

Wo.

You can listen to 'The Tower' here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=49nzV22YSIo

Remedies. Soup (2)

This spring Erwin Zijleman wrote a review of Remedies on this Blog (read here: http://wonomagazine.blogspot.nl/2017/05/remedies-soup.html). I was so intrigued by the cover, more than by the review, that I started to listen. I came close to being swept off my feet. Next I ordered the album online, as LP of course, as I fully wanted to enjoy the artwork. It never came. Instead I went to the label in Germany and received it within days. The artwork just goes on and on as it does with the three song EP I also ordered. Sleeves may have been put on walls, but this album cover can go to musea for modern art straight away. Lasse Hoile is an amazing artist. But what about the music? Let me get to that. First things first.

One of the most impressive pieces of natural art I have ever seen are in the middle of the Australian continent: Ayers Rock and the Olga's. These two rock formations can stand as an example of the music on Remedies. There are parts on the album that are totally monolithic, while other parts are windswept, open and more disguised. The music on Remedies is one big adventure taking listeners from one surprise to the other, from breathtaking parts to a repetitive and effective bassline that carries a whole section of side B.

Soup takes me deep into prog country. Way further than I have been for quite some time. Flying Colours is an example in the past years and Steven Wilson. That may be about it. This band from Norway holds nothing back and throws everything it's got into the record, the music, the songs, the band - and comes out a total winner. Another record contending for the top 10 in 2017.

To think that the album starts with a, heavily strummed, acoustic guitar and a way of singing that makes me think of Dutch band Blaudzun. In the background all sorts of things are going on already, tell-tale signs of things to come. A feedbacking guitar held in check. The singing is typical prog style, more telling a story than a true melody. At around 1"20 the music starts a soft build up, towards the second vocal part with a full band backing. From that moment onwards Soup takes its listeners on a magnificent ride past highs and lows, fast and slow, hard and soft, brutal and subtle. It is all there, one whole LP side long. The sleeve may say that there are two songs, but the main vocal theme returns later on, as you will notice. It seems to me that 'The Boy In The Snow', the title of the second song, is a part of 'Going Somewhere', title one.

Soup is a band from Trondheim in Norway and the vehicle for the musical ideas of Erlend Viken. After starting recording music in 2004, he released two solo albums. Through the years musician step in and out of Soup until for Remedies the band consists of Espen Berge (drums), Ørjan Jensen Langnes (guitar and keyboard) and Jan Tore Megård (bass), besides Viken. Don't be fooled by past stories, Remedies sounds very much like it has been recorded by a band. The density of the music is just huge. A wall of sound puts itself in front of the listener. It is not for nothing that the credits for the music are shared by Soup.

The sound at times is close to the limit of what my ears can handle. The cymbals are pounded tremendously hard, crashed, the dry sound of the snare drum that is hit equally hard. And then it all backs down again, like nature after the storm or after when a dog, close by, stopped barking. In these moments Soup creates a beautiful atmosphere where it is so pleasant to just wallow in. To undergo the music and follow the different instruments that move in and out of the whole. All the while the tension being built up, beat by beat on the drums. Instruments play more notes. More sounds are added to what the composition started out with and we return to the central theme of side one.

The EP 7" cover

Side two totally changes everything. A church organ, recorded in the church of Namsos, the town Remedies was mainly recorded, is the sole instrument. 'Audion' is the title of the composition, that has nothing to do with rock, but is something that returns on a rock record every once in a while. As such it is the transition between the two album sides. On cd it will work even better as the music is one whole there.

The subtle way 'Sleepers' starts out with, hints that Soup knows its Pink Floyd. Like the synthsound does, coming straight out of the 'Wish You Were Here' album. The melody is somewhat more uplifting than Pink Floyd's at the time. 'Sleepers' is pure beauty in the way it is played, the small harmonies come together, the way the melody of the vocal and the synth beautify the monotonous core of the song, making me not want to miss a second.

When the bass takes over the basic duty from the acoustic guitar, the song changes in mood and directness. Slowly it is build out further, making it grander and more impressive. Layer after layer is added of little musical motives that fit together yet are different. Sonic storms come by and lie down when an electric guitar takes over the central duties as a solo instrument. Here I'm reminded of Mike Oldfield for just two minutes, before 'Sleepers' moves into its final sequence and the storms slowly return, to fade away again for a more electronic sound experiment worthy of a spot in Kairos.

The final song 'Nothing Like Home' morphs out of the soundscape slowly, little by little it exposes itself. Hesitatingly as if it is not supposed to be here at the end of Remedies, but is trying to get away with it anyway. Again, in these limited spots, Soup shows how good it is in harmonising. Changing moods in one song is an average manoeuvre for Soup, so it does so in 'Nothing Like Home'. Slowly the composition regains the confidence the rest of the album has and let's a guitar motive play the song home, with more and more instruments arranged in intricate harmonies and counter melodies around it. Bigger and bigger the song becomes, in nothing reminding me of its modest origins.

Remedies is one of the most beautifully covered albums ever. It is also one of my favourite progrock records ever. A perfect combination.

Wo.

You can listen to and buy Remedies here:

https://soupsound.bandcamp.com/album/remedies

or here:

https://www.stickman-records.com/shop/soup-remedies/