Langeland, Sinikka: The Half-Finished Heaven

Sinikka Langeland is a Norwegian folk singer and kantele specialist whose upcoming album The Half-Finished Heaven, will be fourth for ECM Records. On her new album she has gotten together with jazz musicians Lars Anders Tomter (viola), Trygve Seim (tenor saxophone) and Markku Ounaskari (percussion).

The Half-Finished Heaven is a very mellow and dreamy disc with an overall melancholic tone. While each musician is integral to the sound, the music is quite minimalistic and sparse. It is in this type of music the individual notes are so important.

The album consists of twelve tracks with a theme of the natural world and humanities' role in it. The music is very well done and the musicianship is excellent but it is all very subtle and brooding. After the twelfth tune I must admit I was clamouring for something a little more upbeat. My favourites are the title track where lovely languid saxophone fills abound and the mournful "The Woodcock's Bird" with its intricate weaves of cymbal and snare and viola adding density to the sparse soundscape.

If you are a fan of melancholic, almost ambient jazz you will probably dig The Half-Finished Heaven. Even though this album didn't completely resonate with me it is still extremely well done which is to be expected from an ECM release.

Track Listing:
1. Hare Rune
2. The Light Streams In
3. The White Burden
4. The Half-Finished Heaven
5. The Woodcock's Bird
6. Caw of the Crane
7. The Tree and the Sky
8. The Magical Bird
9. Hymn to the Fly
10. Animal Miniatures
11. The Blue Tit's Spring Song
12. Animal Moment

Added: March 28th 2015
Reviewer: Jon Neudorf
Score:
Related Link: Artist's Official Site
Hits: 1569
Language: english

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