Norderval, kristin: Parrhésie

Kristin Norderval is a vocalist/composer with an operatic lineage who has performed as a vocalist with the Oslo Sinfonietta, Philip Glass Ensemble, Pomerium, the Netherlands Dance Theater and the San Francisco Orchestra. On her new album Parrhésie, which translated means "bold, fearless speech and a compulsion to speak the truth at personal risk", she teams with Ida Heidel (flutes, small percussion, voice) and Nusch Werchowska (piano – inside and out).

I have to say this is a really strange album mostly containing improvised sounds. These are not songs so much as they sound collages utilizing weird vocalizations and percussion instruments. The first track "Toxic Legacies" starts with whistling and percussion taps with off the wall vocalizations, sounding Native American or Gypsy-like chanting perhaps, eventually leading to crashing piano chords. The next track "Polar Bear" is another avant-garde offering with weird vocals and minimal percussive sounds. I found the vocals to be much too shrieking for my tastes. The entire album is improvised with a similar sound as these first two tracks.

As such, I found this album to be extremely tough sledding. The minimalist approach combined with the complete lack of hooks and real song structures was a deal breaker for me although I do give these ladies credit for totally thinking outside the box. That said, if you are into experimental music give the samples a listen. You never know…

A Losen Records release.

Track Listing:
Mercury Sunrise
1. Toxic Legacies (6:08)
2. Polar Bear (1:45)
3. Icecap Meltdown (11:31)
4. Oyl in These Harbors (5:31)
Sonic Orbits
5. Apolune (2:23)
6. Perihelion (6:40)
7. Apoapsis (4:15)
8. Periapsis (5:12)
9. Apogée (1:46)
10. Perigée (7:38)
11. This is the Old Song (5:25)

Added: March 5th 2017
Reviewer: Jon Neudorf
Score:
Related Link: Label's Official Site
Hits: 1697
Language: english

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