JUURI & JUURI
Pelimannit
Aania 23

www.aania.fi
 

After a decade together, Finnish musicians Eero Grundström (Harmonium, harmonica, voice) and Emilia Lajunen (5-string fiddle, nyckelharpa, voice) have finally made an album. Well, not one album, but two. The band name, which translates to ‘Root & Root’ pretty much gives away their stance. They want to take the pop sound out of Finnish folk. At first blush that could sound daunting. Give the Quiet Rapture CD a listen though, and much of it is quite beautiful. The polskas sparkle and “Junhon Polkka” is a tune guaranteed to get the feet moving. The only letdown is the songs, with “Imatran Rannalla” a true dirge, not aid by the fact that Lajunen isn’t a great singers. The other CD, devoted to Fiddlers, and taking old tunes, is far more meditative and, well, hardcore. Curiously, the pair’s take on traditional music seems to bring it closer to modern Nordic classic than anything else. It requires deep listening burrow into the music, but once there, it has a translucent quality. However, it’s definitely not for casual listeners and the length of some of the pieces involve a definite commitment of time and energy. Lose the tail of it and it can seem like idle noodling – a fine line to walk. But as the result of ten years of work it’s more than worthwhile, and there’s no doubting the sincerity of the duo, both of whom are highly-qualified, experienced musicians with a great love of Finnish folk music. Credit to them for taking it down to the heart and yes, they claim, there is real power here. But if you want an introduction to Finnish music, this won’t be the best choice.

— Chris Nickson