Review: Signe Marie Rustad – «Particles of Faith»

See all reviews

Similar to sources of inspiration such as the Canadian Joni Mitchell and American alternative artists such as Fiona Apple and Tori Amos, Rustad has a very special medium. She “caress” with the text and has an approach that can also be reminiscent of Radka Toneff, only lighter in expression.

Own sound

In co-producer Kenneth Ishak (Beezwax), Rustad has also found the perfect partner and “playmate” to create a sound that she is alone with here at home. The two produced the three-year-old “Words That Flew Freely”, which received a six in the newspaper you are now reading. On “Particles of Faith” they take their collaboration to new heights – again to six dots on the dice.

It belongs to the rarities and is impressively stable. The last time this reviewer used all six dots on the dice twice in a row was when American Wilco released “Summerteeth” in 1999 and the masterpiece “Yankee Hotel Foxtrot” three years later. The anniversary edition also received a Grammy for best historical album two weeks ago. I will not draw the comparison too far, but they share the will to experiment and go their own way.

Welcome back!

The more folk-rock-oriented predecessor opened with a declamation of parts of the lyrics from the title song, which then ended the album just over half an hour later. Just over three years later, she starts the sequel with «Welcome Back»with a careful piano (Ishak), a tenor saxophone (Harald Lassen) in two channels and classical guitar (Rustad) – and the words «Particles of faith / Welcome back / Come smooth out this face of combat». She brings back the introduction in the title track, which ends the album.

Spellemann winner

It is quite typical Rustad. She smosquitoes reenter our consciousness, leaving little ones behind where. In just under two minutes, she raises expectations for what is to come. You sense that, like last time, she is building towards something big. So yes, Rustad is real welcome back, with an album that is both a natural sequel and a new direction musically, with lyrics that may not be as direct as the last. The fact that she was nominated for Spellemann in the country class and took home the award in the lyricist category for her predecessor has not exactly lowered expectations.

This artist needs to be discovered

Captivating

I’ve been living with this album for a couple of weeks, and it’s been going round and round without me getting bored for a moment. Instead, it only gets better.

It strikes me that there is a more immediate available album, and on the second song «I Loved You From Before» the “experimentation” is almost over. We get a wonderful, catchy song that can find its place in both the pop and Americana genres – until after just under five minutes it slips into a slow and excessively long outro of two minutes. The last one is prick.

Perfect pop song

Drummer Alexander Lindbäck is presentably present both here and on «Hello It’s Me», which is even closer to a perfect pop song, in a lovely arrangement – still with Americana at the bottom. I imagine that it is about getting a new start, much wiser, after a difficult time: «Growing up at 34 / pulling weight of 45 and more».

Lindbäck’s “drum kit” gets a more prominent role on the following «Bark Up Someone Else’s Tree». Live Miranda Solberg, also known as the artist Louien, sings nicely here, and both Sander Eriksen Nordahl and Ishak spice things up with fine guitar playing.

Complements

The other musicians on the album must of course also get their well-deserved place in the sun. These are musicians who have played with Rustad for a long time: Njål Uhre Kiese (bass), Bjørge Verbaan (Moog/Fender Rhodes/Wurlitzer/synth/glockenspiel) and Ishak (piano/acoustic guitar/congas/tambourine/percussion and mix etc.) all do an excellent job to complement this quality product.

Saxophone solo

Nordahl’s soft Electric guitar playing lifts, for example «Waiting» in the jazz direction. It’s a song like was written years ago and finally found its natural place on an album.

Music as gently as falling leaves

On «Carrickalinga», named after a small coastal town in South Australia, there are two distinct voices: Rustad and Lassen. Rustad uses the light and expressive voice for all it’s worth. Lassen gets to characterize the song through an almost three-minute long saxophone part that the jazz crowd will cheer for.

Solo ending

«Particles of Faith», with Rustad alone on classical guitar and a voice that alternately sings and at one point almost whispers, forms a lovely, stripped-down finish to this boundary-pushing album. It doesn’t last very long, but in return there are 33 carefully thought-out and well-produced minutes spread over seven brilliant songs. You just have to surrender!

Rustad plays at Blå in Oslo on March 9 and Lille Ole Bull in Bergen 25. april.