Scintillating, emotional indie-folk from Ane Brun
Scintillating, emotional indie-folk from Ane Brun
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Tuesday, 03, Feb 2009 12:28
inthenews.co.uk's Lee Davis uncovers one of Scandinavia's most promising new artists.
Like Sigur Ros and Feist before her, Ane Brun has notched up critical plaudits for her albums, however it's taken the power of TV advertising to help her break through to the public at large.
Her version of Cyndi Lauper's True Colours, featured on the Sky TV HD advert, has brought the ethereal voice of Ane Brun to a larger audience.
Sky picked up on Ane after her publisher, Sony/ATV, thought her version of True Colours would be ideal for the broadcasting company's campaign.
Now her latest album, Changing Of The Seasons, is out on DetErMine Records.
The LP has 13 songs and includes True Colours as one of two bonus tracks.
Changing Of The Seasons opens with the folky, summer breeze of The Treehouse Song before segueing into haunting numbers The Fall and The Puzzle, the latter electrifies thanks to bravura vocal gymnastics.
The pace slows with the lilting beauty of My Star that has echoes of Kate Bush and lyrics that capture your emotions: "And you know me now/You know that I'll come running/It's when your dark brown eyes turn black/I'll never let them suck you in."
Ten Seconds follows My Star and sees Brun's strong yet delicate voice supported by stirring backing vocals, conjuring up images of a stormy sea.
The song swirls and ebbs, Brun's voice skating over the deep backing vocals of Christian Kjellvander and Tobias Froberg.
Title track Changing Of The Seasons is a bitterwseet duet played out between Ane's lush vocals and near-perfect acoustic guitar.
There's stylistic touches of Elkie Brooks and Tori Amos throughout the track.
Lullaby For Grown-Ups is exactly that. A heart-warming yelp that evokes Simon & Garfunkel's Bridge Over Troubled Water and the American Indian forays of the Doors.
Midway through a piano and drums add a sense of foreboding to Ane Brun's adorable vocals.
This is followed by Raise My Head which is a poor relation to The Treehouse Song.
Armour is a piano-led anti-ballad with a disturbing yet alluring quality. Imagine entering a dusty attic awash with discarded toys as light filters through a grubby window, and that's the underlying feeling of this track.
Unfortunately, Round Table Conference is an irritating country-inspired whine and Gillian drifts aimlessly.
Don't Leave continues this trend although some subtle drumming and percussion lifts the song somewhat.
Linger With Pleasure is the companion piece to Armour, laden with Tori Amos moments and bolstered by delicious piano work.
Bonus track True Colours is a blissful, sparse cover of Cyndi Lauper's 80s classic, full of emotion and hope for better days.
Ane captures the original's heart-rending qualities but she imbues the song with deep soul.
The second bonus track, Big In Japan, floats and flutters yet lacks a hook to connect with.
All in all, this is an album with more ticks than crosses and showcases Ane Brun's scintillating, emotional voice.
Changing Of The Seasons was recorded at Atlantis Studio in Stockholm with Valgeir Sigurdsson producing.
The string arrangements were composed by Danish composer Malene Bay-Landin and American composer Nico Muhly, who has worked with Antony & The Johnsons.
Singer Ane Brun is one of Scandinavia's finest indie-folk artists and releases her albums through her own label, DetErMine Records in Stockholm.
The daughter of a still-gigging jazz singer, Ane grew up listening to Bob Dylan, Joan Baez and Joni Mitchell.
However, she didn't record any music until she was at university. Ane cut her first album while studying.
By her third LP she had dueted with Ron Sexsmith and Teitur. She had also toured extensively, picking up awards on her travels.
Changing Of The Seasons is Ane's second LP to be released in the US, following on from 2006's well-received A Temporary Dive.
Lee Davis