Kråkesølv
Trådnøsting
self-released
There's a certain jazzclub ambience about "Trådnøsting" that belies the fact that it's essentially an indiepop album and it's hard to pinpoint the reason for this, other than Kråkesølv's ability to outlay a sound that's so upbeat and complex, yet so relaxing and easy on the mind that it creates a sense of being at one with the music. It gets into the head and fuses with the brain, eliciting a variety of emotions so strong that it's not even essential to be able to understand Norwegian to know where they're at with a particular song. That's not an easy thing to pull off and, whether intentional or not, the Bodø quartet have done so in such a natural way that it displays the true quality of their songcrafting skills. Style-wise, Kråkesølv are so much like Germany's little-known indiepop act, Monostars, that the only thing separating them in places is the distinct difference in accents. Where Monostars exude a certain abrasiveness in the natural intonation of the Munich dialect, Kråkesølv offer a more lilting, almost flowery, adaptation that complements the melodies in the music and sounds off like an additional instrument. That's simply down to the natural Norwegian accent with its airy peaks and troughs and, for Kråkesølv, it works exceptionally well throughout, with particular note being made of "Privat regn" for its catchy pop anthem stylings and "Vågøyvannet rundt" for its dreamy, fairytale qualities. The title track really displays what Kråkesølv are all about in terms of their musical outlook, as does "Waldemar". What is this outlook, you ask? Well, from spinning this disc a few times, it seems it's all about creating beautiful music that really grasps the heart. Hopefully, the obvious international limitations that come with singing in Norwegian (read 'not in English') won't damage the band's exposure too much.
- John Norby
