By Bona Pjarren
Einar Solberg, frontman of blackened Norwegian avant-grade progressives Leprous, may have taken his time to get around to releasing his debut solo album, but next month will see that realization, with what the PR blurb describes as a release that is “wildly diverse, but spiritually rooted in Einar’s well-established musical world… an album that brims with surprises and spinning curveballs and features a collection of intimate but extravagant collaborations”. So, that’s the label’s take on it, but let’s get into our own review…
Title track ’16’, featuring Canadian cellist and Leprous live collaborator Raphael Weinroth-Brown, is appropriately the first track on the album. Sensuous strings wash the senses and clean soft vocals accompany it. It opens up into a rhythmic song, with female vocals. It is all very gentle.
‘Remember Me’ is next up. It has a dance quality to its beat. Vocals are floated above the gentle lilting melody. It gradually builds in intensity. ‘A Beautiful Life’ has roving melodies that reminded me of ‘Africa’ by Toto. Beautiful vocals are again floated above some wonderful tunes. It is a track full of light and shade as it suddenly powers up from quieter sections.
‘Where All the Twigs Broke’, featuring another collaboration, this time from Heidi Solberg Tveitan, aka starofash, has a haunting piano intro and is delicate in its delivery as it slowly builds and weaves its intricate patterns. It is an interesting prog track. ‘Metacognitive’ has an interesting intro with reversed beats. Again the song is gentle and paced. There is good use of atmospheric noises. It builds into a stomping march.
‘Home’, a perhaps surprising collaboration with former Bent Knee guitarist Ben Levin, is full of soul with strong emotional male vocal. It is a very moving heartfelt track that takes the listener on a journey. It has a nod to the rap community. ‘Blue Light’, featuring VOLA’s Asger Mygind, is slow and melodic with harmonized vocals being the main feature and keys providing gentle washes. It builds into a heart-rending crescendo.
‘Grotto’, featuring Magnus Børmark, is a moderately paced song with some strong melodic ideas that build and ebb in intensity. It has a nice questions and answers section with female vocals. ‘Splitting The Soul’ features perhaps the album’s most high profile of collaborations, in the form of a favour-returning Ihsahn. It has techno style beats and some interesting textures. The extreme vocals were a surprise. There is also some inspired drumming. It stands out as something a bit different to the rest of the album.
‘Over The Top’ is a stark contrast to the previous track with its laid back soulful take. ‘The Glass Is Empty’ feat. Tóti Guðnason builds quickly into a rocky track but then ebbs and flows through its different sections. The rock side is a big sound that really clears the senses.
So the album as a whole is a cohesive journey through a predominately progressive rock style offering. The drumming at times is inspired, as is the keyboard work. There are musical surprises scattered throughout the work and a certain intensity with relevant sections.
While it is good it is not really to my tastes in music. However it is well worth a listen.
’16’ is released