We're having a bit of a relaunch on Monday, so there's loads of new band introductions, singles, EP and Album reviews coming up in the next few weeks. But before we do that I just wanted to introduce you to a Norwegian artist who's made a real impression on me over the last week, and with an album released today, it feels appropriate to try and squeeze something before the weekend.
So Memènto Mori is the name of the artist, although behind that name is the musician Pål-Andrè Rauan, brother of the artist 'Bellman', whom we featured last year (check out his new single 'Just Like a Dream'). Memènto Mori's music is a really interesting blend of styles, with deep vocals influenced by the likes of Nick Cave, varied musical arrangements and lyrics which are undoubtedly affected by his battle with cancer in 2007 - there is an undoubted dark melancholy which sits underneath the songs, but there is hope and light in them too.
'Til Death Do Us Part' is a great example, it will throw you off guard with a barrage of sound, and then opens up with a beautiful piano part and whilst the lyrics are undoubtedly so painful and heartbreaking, there is somehow a positive feel to them - ''put down all the flowers you can find, but please don't grieve / remember all the good times that we had, and all the times you made me glad''. But actually what has drawn me to the music above all is the complex instrumentation, the beautiful judged cello in this track in particular, and the full range of instruments used across the album give the album a rich texture.
Anyway this is 'Til Death Do Us Part':
Now I realise that this isn't necessarily the song which will brighten your day after watching Iceland's defeat to Nigeria in the world cup this afternoon, but the album 'My Minor Universe', which is released today through 'Another Jilted Rebel Music' is definitely worth a listen, full of measured melodic tuneful songs with lovely arrangements and not a wasted word in any of the lyrics. - definitely an absolute highlight of the album, along with the cello contributions. Tracks which have particularly appealed to me include 'The Unknown Future' and 'My Minor Universe Over You', but if truth be told I've only just scratched the surface of the album, and I look forward to carrying it around with me.
So please give 'Memènto Mori' and 'My Minor Universe' a try, and we'll return on Monday with a bumper week of new artist introductions and releases - plus some outrageously exciting UK gig news.