Osloborgerlig Tusmørke: Vardøger og Utburder Vol. 1

Norwegian progressive folk band Tusmørke had a busy 2018 with the release of two albums. This is my review of Vardøger og Utburder Vol. 1, a collection of demos and outtakes that didn’t quite fit on their original albums. It is also a concept album relating tales of Oslo folklore.

The band play progressive folk music, lots of ethnic percussion and traditional instruments. This isn’t heavy music and you will find electric guitar on just a couple tracks but that isn’t to say the band doesn’t create a full sound because it most certainly does. Violin, flute, recorder and a variety of keyboards including Mellotron are used. The first track “Skattegravere i Grefsenåsen� has a dense folk flavour, very much a Scandinavian vibe with violin adding the occasional moment of sadness but overall this is an upbeat tune. Flute is dominant here as it is in many of these tracks. The gewgaw or Jew’s harp creates a distinctive elastic-like sound that is hard to miss. On the lighter sounding “Hovedøya� features backing vocals and farfisa that really stands out. “Gamle Oslo� is darker and more sparse yet very interesting with cool effects and synth work. On a lighter note is the uplifting and airy “Djevelen fra Oslo� with standout flute and recorder melodies.

Vardøger og Utburder is a nice progressive folk album continuing the tradition of Tusmørke’s earthy approach to music. The sound is really quite endearing.

Track Listing:
1. Skattegravere i Grefsenåsen
2. Hovedøya
3. Gamle Oslo
4. Djevelen fra Oslo
5. Kjentmannen
6. Alkers Akropolis
7. Alvene i Oslo
8. Gamle Aker Kjerke

Added: February 17th 2019
Reviewer: Jon Neudorf
Score:
Related Link: Band @ Bandcamp
Hits: 834
Language: english

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