Having enjoyed their second album so much, the right thing to do was to go and discover the debut, which was released in 2011 but completely passed me by. Unlike the more recent, which is available through Inverse Records, this was self-released and in fact can tie it’s roots all the way back to their early demo sessions in 2007 (apparently a tambourine track survived from those early days to make it onto the final version). They state that there are approximately fifteen different acoustic instruments on the album, as well as some electric, but although one may think that would lead to a heavy-handed or complex approach it has all been arranged so well that it sounds clean and simple, although it obviously isn’t.
This reminds me even more of Renaissance (particularly) and Steeleye Span, mixing folk with acoustic rock in a way that is inviting and beguiling. As with their second album I found that this is immediately accessible and totally enjoyable on the very first play, and it just keeps getting better each time. Salla has a wonderful voice, but it is the complete package of great performance and wonderful songs that makes this very much more than just singer with a backing group. There are elements of this that makes one think of Legend, but far lighter – it would be great to have both of these bands in the same concert setting, that really would be something worth seeing. As I said in my other review, these guys need to be more widely heard outside of their home country of Sweden and anyone who enjoys folk/acoustic music really ought to visit their website where it is possible to stream some of the songs. What have you got to lose?
www.greenrosefaire.com
