Tina Refsnes
Album: No One Knows That You're Lost
Label: Bolibompa
Tracks: 11
Website: http://www.tinarefsnes.com/

Hailing from a tiny Norwegian town called Floro, near the capital of Oslo, Tina Refsnes is a brand new name to me. She is a singer-songwriter whose music can only be described as a combination of Americana and British folk music?

Her descriptions of her hometown sound idyllic; there was an abundance of rain where she recalls that she could taste the salt from the sea spray up to a mile from the coastline. Growing up, she always craved the bustle of a city. Perhaps then, it is little surprise that her music and songwriting have earned her comparisons to such notables as Neil Young and Laura Marling and Neil Young.

She moved to Liverpool and studied and lived there for four years. She loved the sprawling metropolis of urban possibilities, and spent all her time writing songs and playing music. But through her years there, there was always a sensation of not finding the right expression for her writing, so she learned to take her time, saving up her songs so that one day she would be able to do it her way.

Whilst living abroad, notably in Liverpool, she worked on gathering material and exploring what recording styles she felt worked for her and her music.

On moving back to Oslo, years later, she found by happenstance a CD she fell in love with. This took her and her music on a journey to Toronto, Canada, to meet with producer Robbie Lackritz, who had previously worked with acts including Feist, Bahamas and The Weather Station liked what he heard and he and his long-time collaborator Eirik Stordrange, along with Toronto musicians Don Kerr (Ron Sexsmith) and Mike O'Brien (Zeus) the group spent three days together in a room, which became the birthplace of a very exciting project for Tina.

The songs evolved over a period of time and this is obvious from first listen. They have a mellow, slow, easy going pace about them, which is surprisingly refreshing. 'No One Knows That You're Lost' is a collection songs about a variety of things; . serious, humorous and quirky. Standout tracks include 'Told' and 'Upside Down Clouds;' the latter a touching exploration of learning with age. 'Alaska' speaks of her hometown and 'City City' and 'The Heart Wants Its Way' give some insight into her dreams of big city life.

A strong debut album from an artist I look forward to hearing more from in the future.

Helen Mitchell