WHITE BIRCH - The Weight Of Spring

La carriera di Ola Fluttum prima dello scioglimento de The White Birch, avvenuto 8 anni e mezzo fa, era già stata caratterizzata da un progressivo addolcimento, una riscoperta della contemplazione dell’uomo e della natura dopo qualche breve accesso di rabbia giovanile: dalle convulsioni di “People Now Human Beings” alle note più melodiche, quasi pop di “Come Up For Air”, passando per il manifesto intransigente di “Star Is Just A Sun”.

Sfruttando le conoscenze e le esperienze portate avanti nello iato del gruppo, in cui si è dedicato alla composizione di colonne sonore, Ola conferma tutto ciò con un nuovo disco, “The Weight Of Spring”, in cui nondimeno offre un nuovo lato della sua espressione artistica.

Aided by "classical" musicians and composers, the Norwegian songwriter celebrates a rebirth that carries with it the shadow of the death that made it possible, between dark, spectral piano processions ("Winter Bride") and more serene choral pieces ("Lament"). The numerous instrumental tracks thus tell the story of a hard-won recovery, as the slow Norwegian thaw must be, and they also tell of Fløttum's personal journey, having lost his mother over these eight years (hence the dedication in "Mother") and had two children.

A gentle lyricism thus unfolds (the chamber-folk of the title track), built around an essential, "biorhythmic" contemplation of life ("Lay Me By The Shore"), which opens out into the shafts of light of the Kings Of Convenience-style track "The Hours".

Overall, though, the record remains somewhat two-dimensional, not to say monolithic, in expressive terms - there are plenty of predictable tracks ("Solid Dirt"), and the general impression is more that of a soundtrack for an inner film that doesn't exist. The narrative still holds up, but there isn't really enough on the songwriting side to make it truly compelling.

Ride the wave of great music

Add OndaRock to your favorite sources on Google Discover. Don't miss our reviews, milestones and latest news straight in your feed.

Follow on Google

11/03/2015