VÄRE

Lately I've been searching for new PA bands to borrow from library and perchance to review. That's one way to find something interesting I most likely wouldn't find otherwise - but frankly, often I'm not very interested in those albums and remain uninspired for reviewing them. This case of a Finnish experimental folk group is not in that category. Sadly my review is only the second in total TENHI has received this far. I bet many friends of dark modern Prog Folk would enjoy them!

At first I thought it's like CMX (a Finnish prog-related band) with a new folkish direction: less guitars, bass and drums and instead plenty of flutes plus some violins etc. The low, slow vocals at least are very close to A.W. Yrjänä's, and also CMX (at their best) have wandered in similar soundscapes of deep melancholy. I'm afraid I can't give any non-Finnish references. I was very interested at first but it didn't hold on til the end of the album. It's deppression felt overwhelming, and I couldn't anymore tell one track from another. Much of it was plainly too fragile (or 'low-profile' or whatever) to be played with a slightest of activity around. At the second, more concentrated listening I decided to tape only four of the best tracks (most of the rest are just paler variations of the similar stuff). But if judged by those highlights, this music is really fascinating and atmospheric. Something to listen to in a dark mood. Something to GET into a BEAUTIFULLY dark mood. Flutes, acoustic guitar, strings and some mouth harp and didgeridoo (to give it a swamp-like feeling) weave a ghostly landscape where the sparse vocals are like an additional instrument. I'm not saying that the album as a whole is bad, but for me few selected tracks work better than to listen through it all. Worth giving it a try!