After great critical acclaim of their last album, Norwegian trio The White Birch comes around again with no intention of resting on their laurels. This time, their atmospheric and melancholic dream pop is brighter, lighter and even grander than before. And they keep the melody sacred. 11 tracks. Glitterhouse. 2005.
Delicate homage to wild space and sadness. Norwegian trio Ola Flottum, HC Almendingen and Ulf Rogde have succeeded here in making a fine atmospheric album of melodic beauty, which manages to somehow evoke the long cold winter nights and bleak tundra of their native land. Following on from 2002’s Star Is Just A Sun The White Birch take a step closer to creating something which feels more substantial, grander and somehow more tangible. First track “Seer Believer” features a Coldplay style piano opening, and as vocalist Flottum sings “You’re the clear winter sky/I’m the snow set to fly” you can just imagine the scene, for this record creates such a sense of light, space and air. Nature is an important theme, illustrated by the ambient “Storm-Broken Tree” and by “June”, a homage to the seasons and nature in general. Melancholic dream pop with soft piano, light flute and wistful lyrics about northern landscapes and shifting relationships, these delicate songs grow quietly with each listen. Tracks like “The White Birds” build imperceptibly, and the seventh track “Stand Over Me” illustrates how the band has begun to bulk up the sound somewhat, gloriously recalling Spiritualized in the way the song grows. Following on from previous critical acclaim, this record does mark more of a shift to the mainstream, but thankfully The White Birch remain a little too strange and ethereal to be filling stadiums in the manner of Coldplay just yet.
http://www.thewhitebirch.no/
|
