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Mari Boine - Idjagiedas
The title of Idjagiedas is helpfully translated on the cover as 'In the hand of the night' - an apt title for this collection of haunting, mournful, Sami songs.Although Idjagiedas is a lyrically inpenetrable album (the words are all in the language of Norway's Sami) the arrangements and melodies speak for themselves.
Light as a feather backing tracks pluck, pad and sweep their way through acoustic instruments, providing a comfortable bed for Mari Boine's captivating, ethereal voice to float over. There are echoes of Bjork, Tunng, Celtic and even North American folk in the sound, which spotlights Boine's crystal vocal sound.
Lyrical translations reveal that Boine preoccupies herself with mermaids, beasts, shamen and other otherworldly emblems - but you could have guessed that from the sound. This is eerie stuff.
It is hard to highlight any indivdual tracks on Idjagiedas, but to not do so would mean missing out on an opportunity to type some fantastic examples of the language, so let's say Davvi Bavttiin, Gos Bat Munno Cinat Leat? and Diamantta Spallit are all atmospheric epics, while Lottas is a gentle whisper of a track.
If you like Bjork, Husky Rescue or any of the other ice cool Nordic artists hovering around the more interesting corners of music, or if you're one of those people who revel in the otherness of Nordic folk, you might find Idjagiedas ticks a lot of boxes for you. And if you're after something gentle and soothing for your eardrums, give this enchanting album a listen. Preferably after dark.
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Idjagiedas by Mari Boine is out now on Lean Records.
www.myspace.com/boine
Written: 2nd Mar, 07
Read: 2612 times
