Fagervall Bjorkenvall
Album: The Silence
Label: Rootsy
Tracks: 11
Website: https://www.facebook.com/FagervallBjorkenvall

Regular readers will know that Fatea has been impressed by not only the quantity of music coming out of Scndinavia at the moment, but also by the quality. This Swedish performed, Norweigian produced album, "The Silence" from Fagervall Bjorkenvall is no exception.

The album pulls together two Swedes who share a common geographgy, but a real diversity in musical history. Outside of Sweden, I would suggest that Tony Bjorkenvall is probably the better knows, having fronted and toured internationally with the Willy Clay Band.

Marcus Fagerval is probably the best known back home, having won Swedish Idol back in 2006, before the hectic schedules associated with such a happening became a bit too much and rather than crashing and burning, he opted to take time out in 2009 and understand where he wanted to go.

With that touch or serendipity, good fortune, call it what you like, 2009 was also the year Fagervall Bjorkenvall met whilst recording a Swedish TV show, which lead to a combining of the more pop sensibilities of one with the more countryfied aspects of the other.

Almost inevitably the description 'The Scandinavian Simon & Garfunkle' will be applied and actually it's not a bad starting point, but that US duo didn't grow up in the beautiful, bleakness of Swedish mining towns. Consequently there is a melancholy in the melodies that gives "The Silence" something that helps really set it apart.

This is an album that is rich in hooks and images. You will find songs and parts of songs coming, unbidden, into your head long after you've put the cd back in it's box and that's not a bad thing.

Norweigian producer, Freddy Holm, is un-named in the groups title, but is really part of the triumvate, pulling in the various threads and weaving them into an album well worthy of your consideration, of course it really helps to be working with two vocal talents like Fagervall Bjorkenvall.

Neil King