Solberg, Einar: 16

Einar Solberg is, of course, best known to us as the frontman of Leprous, as well as being a some time contributor with Ishan, Emperor and more. 16, an album so titled due it being the age when Solberg suddenly found certain elements within his life going severely wrong, finds the singer and keyboard player standing alone - well, when I say alone, there’s actually a huge cast of musicians on this album but it’s Solberg’s name on the front and the photos within are certainly marketing him as a moody, introspective solo artist. For those drawn here, as most will be, through the singer’s links to his main projects, musically there are enough connections to what they might expect to find to not quite leave them in a foreign land, although that’s not to say that the surrounds are simply lifted from one locale to another - far from it.

Now, I can’t pretend to be the most knowledgeable of Leprous acolytes, but for me, that band’s journey from agitated metal progressives to smoother progressive introspectives is taken yet one step - actually maybe three or four - further on 16. With intricate arrangements, swathes of atmospheric melancholy and Solberg’s forcefully fragile vocals all strongly in evidence, would it be accurate to call this album something more akin to sophisticated, complex pop music than it would be accessible progressive rock? Maybe so. It’s an interesting journey, “Remember Me� layering vocals under playful, but hardly jolly strings, while the guitars that do make an appearance often feel more like the colour that augments the main event than the other way round. These are themes throughout, the beautiful piano of “Where All The Twigs Broke� reminding in some ways of latter day Opeth, while still somehow feeling altogether slicker and less foreboding.

The whole experience feels cathartic for Solberg, the track “Metacognitive� finding repeats of the line ‘get me out of here…. get me out of here…’ and as such it also hits home as a hugely personal experience that we’ve been allowed to share. However, for me, that doesn’t always mean that I can jump fully onboard, “Home� riding aloft on electronic beats, clipped trumpet and a remarkably contemporary pop vocal that’s then joined by a rap vocal that I must admit moves this reviewer too far from his, well not comfort zone, but the place in which he wants to reside.

There are some genuinely breathtaking moments on 16, most notably the ambitious closing pair of “Over The Top� and “The Glass Is Empty�. However, there’s a question I’m increasingly left asking myself these days as artists, and especially those from progressive rock backgrounds, look to spread their wings into other areas, and it’s this - would I be listening to this style of music if it wasn’t by an artist I already knew? And too often the answer is actually quite a resounding no. That’s where I am with 16, a few clunky lyrical moments aside this is a beautifully crafted and excellently executed album that does little for me personally, but I can’t take away from how well it’s all been put together.

Track Listing
1. 16 (feat. Raphael Weinroth-Browne)

2. Remember Me

3. A Beautiful Life

4. Where All The Twigs Broke (feat. Star Of Ash)

5. Metacognitive (feat. Raphael Weinroth-Browne)

6. Home (feat. Ben Levin)

7. Blue Light (feat. Asger Mygind)

8. Grotto (feat. Magnus Børmark)

9. Splitting The Soul (feat. Ihsahn)

10. Over The Top

11. The Glass Is Empty (feat. Tóti Guðnason)

Added: December 9th 2023
Reviewer: Steven Reid
Score:
Related Link: Einar Solberg 16 purchase links
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Language: english

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