Bruce Soord & Jonas Renske: Wisdom of Crowds

There are a lot of reasons why Wisdom of Crowds, the collaborative LP wrought of the union of Jonas Renske (of Katatonia fame) and Bruce Soord (of The Pineapple Thief fame), shouldn't work. Renske's smooth vocals are most comfortable in the chilly environs of doom metal, whereas Soord—whose band's name doesn't just coincidentally bear similarity to Porcupine Tree—has cut his teeth on a brand of prog rock that liberally uses electronics. Records like Someone Here is Missing, moreover, are indicative of Soord's pop sensibility, and while Katatonia is comfortable in verse/chorus song structure, mood and atmosphere are still the name of its game. What a surprise it is, then, that Wisdom of Crowds is a fairly significant step forward for both musicians. Given the divergent backgrounds Renske and Soord come from, the results are unsurprisingly unpredictable, but what's fascinating here is how the tracks that are the most routine—the radio friendly "Pretend," for example—are the least successful. It's when the duo commits to off-kilter experimentation that it's at its strongest.

Case in point lead single and album highlight "Frozen North," the most logical song one could imagine of this collaboration. The verses are a variation on classic Katatonia, in the vein of cuts like "Idle Blood" off Night is the New Day. Over gently fingerpicked acoustic guitar, Renske intones poetically about frigid climates: "Turning it back to me/Turning it back to you/Moving it back and forth/Stuck in the frozen North." As the last chord of the chorus rings, Pineapple Thief-styled electric guitar kicks in, creating an unsettling but compelling contrast with the song's tranquil moments. This is one of many examples on Wisdom of Crowds where defamiliarization plays a key role. On "Radio Star," for example, it sounds as if the duo is making a basic alt-rock track, but Renske's majestic vocal delivery on the understatedly epic chorus ("I am the sun/I am the moon/I am the day that broke too soon") transforms it into something else—something almost Broadway-like in its grandeur. Whatever one is likely to think of these tracks, she'll likely end up being wrong, which is one of many reasons why Wisdom of Crowds is so engaging an album. The all-over-the-place opener "Pleasure" gives no indication that the following song—the bizarre title cut—will be built around a vintage sample that sounds as if it were recorded through a victrola.

Musically, Soord's contributions are the clearest here. A lot of this material could have appeared on future Pineapple Thief releases were it not for this LP, which makes it all the better that it took this form, as more than anything else it's Renske that makes this joint venture so strong. Listening to his voice become more distinctive over the past several Katatonia releases has been incredibly rewarding, and with Wisdom of Crowds it's apparent that his velvety vocals need not only be used to pump the icy heart of Katatonia.

What Soord and Renske have made here is a record that, for all of its unexplainable or weird tangents (see: that lingering electro/trip-hop fascination Soord brings from his Pineapple Thief experience), nevertheless invites the listener in to a wholly unique, fascinating world. There's nothing else out there like this right now—nor has there been in the past few years, for that matter—and for that reason, amongst many others, Wisdom of Crowds is a true testament to the ever-expanding capabilities of progressive music.

Track Listing

1. Pleasure
2. Wisdom of Crowds
3. Radio Star
4. Frozen North
5. The Light
6. Stacked Naked
7. Pretend
8. Centre of Gravity
9. Flows Through You

Added: July 11th 2013
Reviewer: Brice Ezell
Score:
Related Link: Band Site
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Language: english

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