Unni Lovlid,
Rite
(Grappa, 2008)


Dark, frigid, minimalist, mysterious, haunting -- this music might reflect how you imagine Unni Lovlid's home country of Norway. Lovlid is classified as a folk performer, but this is not what you might think of as folk.

Lovlid's work resembles ambient, drone electronica. The six minutes of "I Drink Your Red Wine" is just Lovlid singing slowly, with a vocal overdub in a second part. Here is a translated sample of the lyrics from the CD booklet: "Blood, mucus, fat, membranes, hair, glands / Fresh traces of you fill me with light." It is unlikely Lovlid will try to crossover onto the pop or country charts in the U.S.

On "Truth" she accompanies herself on hardanger fiddle. On the other seven tracks, she is backed by programming and synthesizers mixed with organic instruments like cello, accordion, French horn, percussion and fiddle. A children's choir appears on "The World Keeps Watch." The electronics complement the music. There are no bleeps or beats, just atmospheric lingering notes and drones.

Some listeners will not like it, but for those with a taste for innovative folk music, this 37-minute CD will be compelling and beautiful.




Rambles.NET
review by
Dave Howell

13 September 2008


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