Whenever I play Radiohead on our old fashioned CD player at home, my roommate assures me that there is nothing special about their sound. Obviously, to him, they are ripping off Pink Floyd. I shoot him a look that I intend to be understood as, “you don't have a clue what you are talking about”. My expression becomes a smile; I exit the room and turn the stereo louder. His favorite artist is Bruce Springsteen, but nowadays he listens to an awful lot of The Hold Steady-as if each album doesn't grow more and more Boss-esque.
Comparing artists is sometimes necessary, but usually unfair. The difficulty is in drawing the line between “inspired by” and “stealing from”. With that, I'm only going to do this once.
Kate Havnevik. Bjork.
Kate Havnevik is from Norway. She is the daughter of a couple of classical flutists. She plays the guitar, the piano and like mom and pop, the flute. Melankton, her debut, spares us the flute. It does, however, offer some pretty damn good pop songs, though not Britney Spears-like pop songs. Her self arranged orchestration, driving beats and distinctive voice might be a bit too off kilt for the Top 40. Even if she was once sang backing vocals for Miss Spears, she is certainly not that type of pop singer.
Melankton is ethereal. It is Hvanevik's baby in just about every aspect, including the label (self started, Continentica Records) and recording studio (her bedroom closet). The album speaks loudly and challenges its audience. Limpid and serene, yet confusing and troubled, with Melankton, Havnevik keeps you on your toes. She does so in all aspects of her creation: music, lyrics, songwriting, programming...even album artwork.
The cover art is simple. It's empty and white, with her name, the title and a floating Havne-head. The blankness of the cover art fits, for this is undoubtedly a white-feeling album. On the contrary, the title, Melankton, translates to Black Rose.
It won't take long to figure, the darkness is hidden in the lyrics.
“Unlike Me”, breathes the album to life. “There are no guarantees in life/Not for the present nor for the future/All I know is that I'm here/Don't know for how long”, she whispers on her way to the admiration of someone who is living life how she wishes she could. The song fills in with programming as you anticipate the beat. I will tell you, it never comes. Somehow, that is OK.
You will have to wait until track two, “Travel in Time”, which features producer Carmen Rizzo, for percussion. This song tiptoes smoothly to a beat that will have you moving seductively in seconds. “At the fall of night/Realize how much I miss you/Move from dark to light/I travel through time to softly kiss you.”
Another stand out track is “Serpentine”. The opening strings and piano almost bring tears, even before the lyrics rear. When they do, she sings in her airy voice breaking your heart in two as she dodges life's daily obstacles. You feel as if you’re watching the sunrise at the edge of a cliff, throwing things off and contemplating something big, that only you would understand. Sort of like, errr, a Bjork song.
Damn. |