Just time to squeeze a quick song in from another band that have been around for years, but never made it to these page . Musta Valo are from Finland, and they class themselves as a ‘post pop’ band, which I always really like the sound of, even if I don’t entirely know what it means. It’s certainly better than calling themselves ‘progressive’, which is sometimes code for a band to reinvent themselves as slightly dull 70s rock act, playing 12 minute tracks with a flute.
They’ve released 3 albums, starting with a self titled release in 2014 and most recently in 2020 with the catchy sounding 'Tuleville Sukopolville', and according to Facebook they’re now located between Helsinki and Turku, the latter of course home to NMR favourites The Stillwalkers - I'm looking forward to going there for a live gig in 2022.
So Musta Valo have just released a new song entitled 'Magnoliat', and this is another non English language track, which the band simply describe as written about “spring, new life, new hope and magnolia flowers''. All very appropriate for this time of year, even if the leaves on the magnolia tree behind my house were half decimated by the wild storms last night.
It was interesting that Spotify recommended fellow Finnish band NEØV shortly after I’d been listening to Musta Valo, because they do have a little of that style. The impressive thing about 'Magnoliat' is the intensity generated as the song progresses, building slowly with added synths and a crescendo of sound in the instrumentals and vocals. I wasn’t quite sure in the 1st 15 seconds, but I was dancing around the house by the end of it – well almost.
I've really enjoyed catching up with some of their old releases this afternoon. Find them on Facebook.