ANJA GARBAREK

According to the PA album review "the best songs here are those more pastoral songs. The catchy songs are very commercial, but not that good", so undoubtedly this is among the better ones then. 'Can I Keep Him?' is downright soft and sensitive, concerning both Anja's feather-light vocal delivery and the elegant arrangement that uses strings alongside the usual pop instruments and programming. Pretty, romantic, sugar-sweet, easy on the ears, but not much more than that, and to be honest, not enough evidence to make me form an opinion of Anja Garbarek as a great singer. Two songs I came to think of as stylistic references are TORI AMOS' 'Sleeps With Butterflies' (also from 2005) and JANE SIBERRY's 'Love Is Everything' (1993), but both of them are stronger as compositions -- even if I wouldn't count either of them among the finest songs of the artist in question. However, I believe that on the romantic film (which I haven't seen) 'Can I Keep Him?' succeeds to move the audience.

Anja was a sharp cookie on her four albums and she did it her way. I hope she still does, btw. Briefly Shaking is her fourth and so far last album.

Being the daughter of the musical giant Jan, she soon staked out her own course far away from her father. Her music is in the sophisticated pop music genre. Briefly Shaking is both sophisticated and catchy at the same time. The music can be labelled a more electronic version of what Rasputina does. Comparissons with Kate Bush is also in order. Madonna ? Not much.

Anja's voice is the main instrument here, supported by a wide variety of other instruments. Her voice is very good so the sound suits her perfectly. The best songs here are those more pastoral songs. The catchy songs are very commercial, but not that good.

Overall, this is a good album. Some really great songs (like on her debut album) are sorely missed though. But it is still a good quirky pop album which may appeal to those of you into female driven pop music. Check it out.

3 stars

"Beyond My Control" is the kind of song that could be sung by Sade or better, by Rebecka Tornqvist but the arrangement is more jazz. This is the easiest track of the album.

"I.C.U." is opened by sounds that can remind to India but it's just for a while. It soon turns into a song with an unusual instrumental arrangement. The contrast is between the warmth given by voice and minor chords and the coldness of the electronic sounds.

"Just One Of These Days" is another song based on contrasts: here Anja's voice whispers on a very soft melody, but the rhithmic section based on marimba plus the flute add an oriental background.

"Picking Up Pieces" is made of electronic sounds on a disco tempo with overdubbed vocals. The effect on the voice reminds me of Laurie Anderson.

"The Cabinet" is hard to describe. The base is electronic and the voice is whispered until the chorus when Anja uses her most warm tones and the melody is properly jazz. Between Bjork and Rebecka Tornqvist, two nordic girls like her.

After about one minute of radio noises and whispered words "Something Written" starts and becomes one of the most jazz moments of the album. Not much easy also this.

"Strange Noises" is in line with its title, but the noises are rhythmic. Anja speaks over them for one minute then the song becomes heavy to return to the initial low noise. Does anybody remember the Witch on Gong's Angel's Egg?

Some piano now. It's one of the rare times when an instrumet sounds familiar, even if the notes are discordant, then slow drumming and electronic noises start the song. Not very different from the previous one but with some more melody ere and there, lead mainly by flute and voice.

"She Collects (Stuff Like That)" is less serious and the weird sounds make me think to Carla Bley. There's also a bit of swing in the way Anja sings and later in the brasses, but they are just moments of something more complex.

Finally the title track. It takes some time to start. Anja sings very sweetly on a keyboard(violins) base. This is jazz. At least for a couple of minutes. The rest is spacey electronic.

It's not an easy album. Highly experimental, I think it's bread for fans of Laurie Anderson or Carla Bley, so even if I think that it's a very good album, I don't rate it 4 stars because of the word ANY. You need to like this genre to appreciate the album.

The center star is of course Anja. It's her project, not her first album, and the rest of the musicians do serve as supporting artists for her vision. Lyrically and perhaps musically you get a strong woman's perspective on the difficulties of life. A dark and chilling perspective at times.

This album is a bit like some of Angleo Badalamenti's soundtrack work with David Lynch: dark and mellow and jazzy and dreamy. Anja's lyrics and music are a mix of the disturbing with beauty. No-man comes to mind too, but I like Anja's vocal style much better than Tim Bowness'.

"Emerging through water. That's all we know. On hands and knees towards the shore. That's all we know."