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Rating: Anja Garbarek is a chameleon.
I know a review would rarely start this way, but it's the truth: the Norwegian singer-songwriter (daughter of the famous saxophonist Jan) is someone who often changes the game, and she does it with innate mastery. If at first you feel transported by the jazz-like intro, very Billie-Holiday, of “Born That Way”, she manages to surprise you: just when you're relaxed, she sends you a rock fury called “Dizzy With Wonder”, which closely resembles the Pj Harvey of the '90s. Anja, of course, doesn't reach the anger of the English singer but she's close: her piece is simple, staying in mind precisely because it's contrasted with the relaxation of the first track. Then comes “The Last Trick”, a trip hop poem and the first single, in which the singer borrows a string section from Portishead, personalizing it with her unmistakable voice, certainly not capable of high pitches and incredible vocalizations, but certainly seductive and penetrating.
“Sleep” will put your speakers to the test: a volcano of bass and synths that open into a piece with soul undertones. There are no two songs alike on the album: it's a mix of genres that strongly recalls Björk's masterpiece “Post.” So, among the fan-spreading strings, disturbed by Aphex Twin-like noises of the beautiful “Can I Keep Him?” and the almost metal greatness (!), yes, I said metal: I was shocked too!, of “This Momentous Day”, unfolds a highly successful and very diverse album, balancing between ancient and hypermodern, a kaleidoscope of creativity and ideas that can (perhaps) resurrect the poor trip-hop.
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
02 Dizzy With Wonder (02:53)
There were buildings here long ago
But now the blade of grass cuts my feet
I proceed with caution and lay low
Just visible through the trees
Breathing carefully I crawl up
Onto the surface of tension
I glimpse the rocks from below
What I see will never be mentioned
Dizzy with wonder
I shake my head to clear the view
With a hunger to know
I come to this place to be close to you
Lit from inside
I go to the switch
I rise quickly from the dark
Through white clouds that I tear apart
Releasing drops of water
All over
Dizzy with wonder
I shake my head to clear the view
With a hunger to know
I come to this place to be close to you
Dizzy with wonder
I shake my head to clear the view
With a hunger to know
I come to this place to be close to you
Dizzy with wonder
I shake my head to clear the view
With a hunger to know
I come to this place to be close to you
Dizzy with wonder
I shake my head to clear the view
With a hunger to know
I come to this place to be close to you
03 The Last Trick (05:29)
From standing to crouching
Silently falling
Falling from nowhere to nowhere
Nothing between
Nothing beyond
Nothing behind the stars
This is the last trick I'll do
Sound can be seen
This is the main title
Briefly shaking
This is the last trick I'll do
Sound can be seen
This is the main title
Briefly shaking
Remain for some time
Down here below
Allowing the doubt to feed upon me
And even the ones
Who've never been
Are climbing the wail up ahead
I get up start crawling
Into the same
Over and over and over again
Smelling the plastic
Smelling the spit
And smelling my own breath
This is the last trick I'll do
Sound can be seen
This is the main title
Briefly shaking
This is the last trick I'll do
Sound can be seen
This is the main title
Briefly shaking
The presence convincing
The most of what I've written is false
I mention this
'Cause I'm talking in the light of what's known
I get out of the sun
This is the last trick I'll do
Sound can be seen
This is the main title
Briefly shaking
This is the last trick I'll do
Sound can be seen
This is the main title
Briefly shaking
This is the last trick I'll do
Sound can be seen
This is the main title
Briefly shaking
This is the last trick I'll do
Sound can be seen
This is the main title
Briefly shaking
This is the last trick I'll do
Sound can be seen
This is the main title
Briefly shaking
All together now
Everybody
04 Sleep (03:35)
And it is so strange
With these eyes out into darkness
And it is so strange
All they want to do is sleep
And it is so strange
They want to sleep through silence
And it is so strange
'Cause I am wide awake
And it is so strange
How all this could be over
If you would walk in
If you put me to rest
And it is so strange
That my voice seems to've gone quiet
And even stranger still
That I never will be found
All I want to do
Is to drift away
Hush-a-bye baby
All I want to do is go to sleep
To sleep, to sleep
05 Shock Activities (04:14)
The street's reaching up to the open window
Too much information leaks in
And shoots up my spine
Lifting my head off the pillow
And the dust rises
When I set my feet on the floor
I breathe in and out while I try to focus
When I feel ok I twist my mouth
To save what little air is left
'Cause it's a question of constructing
An imitation of conditions
It's a question of constructing
An imitation of conditions
To survive, to survive, to survive
This situation, situation, situation
To survive, to survive, to survive
This situation, situation, situation
I keep far away but I'm missing nothing
My eyes are an endless panorama of blue
There's nothing here to block my view
And with a sideways glance
I am shown as much as I want to see
'Cause it's a question of constructing
An imitation of conditions
It's a question of constructing
An imitation of conditions
In full motion
No variation
This need for speed
The notion of convulsion
This seed of greed
Shock activities
Lack of memories
Don't wanna be
Cannot see
Anything wrong with the picture
'Cause it's a question of constructing
An imitation of conditions
It's a question of constructing
An imitation of conditions
To survive, to survive, to survive
This situation, situation, situation
To survive, to survive, to survive
This situation, situation, situation
'Cause it's a question of constructing
An imitation of conditions
It's a question of constructing
An imitation of conditions
It's a question of constructing
An imitation of conditions
It's a question of constructing
An imitation of conditions...
07 My Fellow Riders (03:59)
Pleasantly removed
Into lush darkness
Into the dreamless place
I begin to sing this song
Staying loud enough
To drown out any noise
In presence of strangers
I begin to sing this song
It appears to be done
For the pleasure of the doing
But I'm no better shape
Than my fellow riders
Every now and then
I'm slipping back again
Empty and mortal
I begin to sing this song
My mind is moving fast
Trying to make connections
Taking short-cuts
Noting events
Listing all
Filing away
Along with opinions
Making connections
Taking short-cuts
Noting events
Listing all
Filing away
Along with opinions
Making connections
Taking short-cuts
Noting events...
It appears to be done
For the pleasure of the doing
But I'm no better shape
Than my fellow riders...
08 Can I Keep Him? (03:41)
In the end
There was no-one to see
No helicopters in the
sky the next day
Or the day after
No-one was searching
'Cause no-one knew
he was missing
He followed me home
Can I keep him
He followed me
A pretty boy like you
With hands that could
break me in two
But don't
Breaking away gently
Come on
Let's go
He's still warm
And close to me
I can see tears in his eyes
And I feel better
He followed me home
Can I keep him
He followed me
In the end
There was no-one to see
No helicopters in the
sky the next day
Or the day after
No-one was searching
'Cause no-one knew
he was missing
10 Still Guarding Space (04:30)
Hums of conversation
Lip goes
One leg crossed
Driven back into this corner
Is it the same when I leave
As when I come
On a higher or lower frequency
It means nothing to me
Watch me turn the volume down
It's always cold before the last day
Still guarding space
Snow piled up by the road to my house
The one time I tried
It was a fine view
Through and across
Then there was restlessness
And in that movement
I dressed in the light from outside
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