TORNADON SILMÄSSÄ

I found this Finnish group last spring and was delighted to get them into this site. The debut Aika ja Avaruus (2019) impressed me with its daring expressive pallette, rooted in Progressive Folk in a highly eclectic way. This second album (the title meaning "In the eye of a tornado") feels more modern-sounding and pop oriented, not so much progressive rock, nor folk, when it comes to song forms or soundscapes. This stylistic evolution seems very logical since the environmental message is so important with this band. The lyrics, that is.

But you know what? The poppier approach suits VIMMA extremely well. This music shares more in common with the individualistic Finnish female pop artists of today, such as Yona, Lyyti, M, Chisu, Vesala, Maritta Kuula etc. than with the legacy of progressive rock. And in that "pop" context both the lyrics get more weight and the music's personal charasteristics can be admired, helping the band to stick out. The rap-reminding spoken word orientation surely feels more at home here than on the debut which a casual listener would probably think to be difficult and disjointed. I sincerely hope this album will reach wider audience and VIMMA will get more attention in the Finnish music media and airplay. They truly deserve it.

The opening song 'Maailmanloppu' ('Apocalypse') was recorded also in German and in English; those versions are added as bonus tracks. [That means the actual album is rather short, about 32 minutes.] An excellent pop song it is. The cute vocals of Eeva Rajakangas are used melodically and the bright synth-dominated sound feels fresh.

'Antrasiitille' is the song I reviewed earlier when it was released. The double violins add a folk element to the otherwise very electrified and catchy musical backing for the spoken word oriented vocals. The brief and slow- tempo 'Kielot' begins quietly and increases the intensity in a gorgeous way. 'Sateenkaari ja ilmapallo' is also in a rather slow tempo and features proper vocal melodies. A beautiful, melancholic pop ballad with a sonically rich production. 'Kasveille' is basically poetry-reading with a hypnotic musical backing plus some ghostly vocal treatment. Especially enjoyable are the rhythm section and the sharp violin riff slightly reminiscent of some moments in Kate Bush's "The Ninth Wave" suite. 'Unohdetaan' is a pretty, folky instrumental piece highlighting violins, piano and harmonium.

The harder-sounding title track is where the angriness about the pitiful state of planet Earth is rubbed against one's face, but the musical energy with a powereful prog edge is to be appreciated. 'On syy' bravely combines delicate melancholia and louder moments. This is where I came to think of Yona, one of my contemporary Finnish favourite artists, for the vocals. On the final track 'Seisahdumme pieneen huoneeseen' the vocals are part singing, part spoken word, and the piano/synth dominated backing is very spacy.

Even though I'm not giving another full rating, in a way I feel this is an improvement from the debut, especially for the production. (If ProgArchives allowed half stars, maybe I'd rate both albums 4½. I round it down this time, using the excuse of the lesser amount of prog and the album's brevity.) In the supplementary leaflet the lyrics are printed both in Finnish and in English, but undoubtedly this album is primarily for the Finnish pop listeners; probably the rest of you don't even know the artists I referred to above.

With their second release, Finland's VIMMA streamline their AVANT fusion folk into Global pop realms in a clever concoction residing somewhere near the intersection of OF MONSTERS AND MEN, MECANO, AFRO CELT SOUND SYSTEM, DIABO NA CRUZ, MARTYN BENNETT, ANGELIQUE KIDJO, and many others. The two most impressive tracks are right at the start, the infectious pop masterpiece "Apocalypse", whose mix on two other versions that close the disk is the same apart from the language, and the eminently danceable fiddle driven "Antrasiitille". The short form is maintained throughout but so is the adventurousness of the arrangements and the now familiar spoken word segments. Most lack the wow factor, including the title track which at least gives hard rock a try for a change, but "On syy" imaginatively whips a transient boost into an otherwise hypnotic piano figure and romantic vocals. The arsenal of wind instruments rom the debut is missed along with its purveyor Jaakko Arola.

Not quite as chaotic as its title suggests, and not quite as frenzious as the group name suggests, "Tornadon silmässä" is nonetheless a pleasing second entry from a band that wants to evolve organically and document its transitions as they occur.