HEKLA STÅLSTRENGA
Makramé
Talik 84

www.talik.no
 

It’s Norwegian folk-rock. No, really, it is. A mix of the tradition and original material – both songs and tunes – all gussied up, amplified and brought out to play. The pleasure the band takes in the music is so palpable that it all sounds gleefully bouncy. There’s a real mix of instruments, with the fiddle of Ragnhild Furebotten often taking the lead, and some strong singing, and they can do delicate as well as raucous – witness “Farvel,” for instance. There’s a touch of prog rock here and there, kicking off “Erter & Sverter,” while “A I Sloyd” veers gently into alt-country territory, with some tasty dobro playing. The rhythm section deserves real praise, so effective that the listener barely notices them, yet keeping everything closely anchored. They cover a lot of bases, never forgetting their roots in Norway – all of them are very well versed in the tradition but not afraid to play with it and reinvent it. There’s real warmth to the sound and the sense that this could be the start of something really good.

— Chris Nickson