Reviews
Artist:Slack Bird Album: Hämärään
Label: Harava
Tracks: 8
Website: http://slackbird.bandcamp.com
Finnish Doom Folk group Slack Bird release their third album 'Hämärään', an 8 track offering which takes us on a rollercoaster of noise. The opening track pulls no punches, unapologetically the second longest track of the album with heavy droning instruments.
The duo have now expanded into a trio but for this album the sound is expanded in glorious fashion with cello, bass, trumpet, electric and acoustic guitar on top of the banjo and accordion.
The first single 'Pyllytä Peto' is possibly the most surreal continuation of storytelling folk traditions as singer Dave Klas regales: ''In the old days, people in Finland believed that every living thing had innate power, a magic called Väki. The most powerful Väki came from the human vagina. It's magic, vitun väki, was so strong that people believed vaginas could banish threats away.'' I just wish this song had English translation somewhere! This song has an equally enthralling video on YouTube which I fully recommend checking out.
The final track finishes off in an equally glorious fashion as the first, an almost 10 minute long behemoth which possibly needs it's own separate review to this album. With echoes of Southern States blues, drenched in cello drones, staccato trumpets, this final fanfare is an epic finale to an album that demands your attention. It's quite an intense affair and the seemingly short number of tracks doesn't account for how much there is on this album to re-visit.
Some may find a whole album in Finnish quite demanding if you're a native English speaker but in a world where many try to 'fit in' to the English speaking model, Slack Bird tour across Europe and USA singing in Finnish which has to be admired. When Slack Bird play, you pay attention.
Johnny Campbell
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