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Rating: After "Birds Of Passage," Nils and Anneli find themselves alone, but for Bel Canto, officially a duo from that moment on, the problem is definitely not the departure of keyboardist Geir Jenssen as much as the heavy legacy of an album of disarming and unrepeatable beauty like their second work. A crucial moment for the two Norwegians: doing better than that was humanly impossible, the higher you fly, the greater the risk of a fall with dire consequences in case of missteps, but with "Shimmering, Warm & Bright," Bel Canto brilliantly surpass that test, the post-masterpiece ordeal, and they do so by continuing to follow their unique philosophy: continuing the journey, evolving, progressing toward the light, with a wise dose of caution. The final result materializes in 1992, and it's an album that might seem quite similar to "Birds Of Passage" to a distracted listener, but the continuity between these two works is almost only superficial, limited to external structures; analyzing it more deeply reveals a microcosm very different from its predecessor.
There is a partial downsizing of the orchestral component in favor of more fluid and electronic sounds accompanied by acoustic string instruments, and Anneli once again changes register, proposing a lighter singing style, halfway between ecstatic and sensual, warm like the breeze of a summer evening by the sea. Of all Bel Canto's albums, "Shimmering, Warm & Bright" is the one that comes closest to the concept of new age with its warm, sinuous, and lush atmospheres in which a powerful and luxuriant nature plays an absolutely leading role; after the frost and darkness of "White-Out Conditions" and the spiritual oneirism of "Birds Of Passage," this is the album of life and light, a painting with soft but rich nuances, fluid and rounded brushstrokes, with a few small shadows to balance the equilibrium and maintain a connection with the past. Musically, this "velvet revolution" translates into a rhythm component in great shape, no longer just accompaniment but a major protagonist with an iconic "Summer", dynamic, very refined, with an irresistible melodic crescendo and all the potential to become a small cult hit, and "Unicorn", a marvelous vision of love and freedom emerging from an electronic-orchestral idyll with the same grace as the mythical creature. An eye on the future with "Shimmering, Warm & Bright", already imbued with oriental atmospheres, a more defined and clear groove, and slightly more assertive singing, almost an anticipation of what will be the winning formula of the successor "Magic Box," and an eye on the past with the relentless rhythm and dark sensuality of "Spiderdust", a witchcraft ritual in which Anneli showcases an unprecedented falsetto, very theatrical and alluring.
"Shimmering, Warm & Bright" is a perfectly balanced album, and to a yin of rhythm, vitality, and dynamism contrasts a yang of sumptuous and evocative ballads, where it is easier to spot similarities with the atmospheres of "Birds Of Passage"; "Waking Will", for example, is almost a restyling of "A Shoulder To The Wheel" with a more intimate approach and more folk musicality, while "Le Temps Degage" and especially the hypnotic and changing perfection of the lied "Die Geschichte Einer Mutter", one of the highest points ever reached by Bel Canto, continue the operatic tradition already begun at the beginning with "Capio" and then with the sublime "Time Without End" in BOP. "Mornixuur", on the other hand, is a perfect and conclusive manifesto of the SW&B style, with extended and dreamy instrumental passages, light and luminous singing, feelings of peace, electronics and percussion with a moderate use of orchestral elements.
Compared to the previous two, this third stage certainly lacks a bit of pathos, evident especially in passages like "Sleep In Peace" and "Buthania", but it is an almost inevitable price for such a stylistic turn, which in any case does not affect the widely positive assessment for an album that perfectly fits within the qualitative standards of a group that, including Anneli's two solo albums and except for the unfortunate interlude of "Rush," has always maintained a level of absolute excellence. "Shimmering, Warm & Bright" also marks the end of a cycle for Bel Canto, who from "Magic Box" onwards will turn to a more strictly pop sound, a turn that in the short term will prove to be winning as well as necessary to avoid the risks of mannerism and repetitiveness, the first hints of which can already be felt in SW&B.
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
01 Unicorn (05:20)
there is a chapel in the woods
where from the farthest-seeing senses rule
there is a scroll inside a casket...
clear blue eyes have worn this outfit
yes I knew it was no moonshine, it is real
I feel much better
now I know this spiral shaft
can possess the brightness of the light
oh, I sayeth
thou art mine true companion
and I wish
thou wilt enter my kingdom
oh, mesmerising unicorn
when if danger it will glow
a glimmer can foresee all threats to come
gone are disbeliefs and doubts
it would be nice, so nice...
oh, I sayeth
thou art mine true companion
and I hope
thou wilt enter my kingdom
oh yes, I wish
I really wish
04 Waking Will (05:16)
the reptiles escaped, who said `booh'?
was it me, but who then was I?
what made them fear?
it's dark and it's cold, and I feel so old
I'm going down
I'm going down to chase some reptiles
so autonomic
and you interupt my dream
you interrupt me
my old brainstem is talking
and you interrupt my dream
you interrupt me
the kites fly up high, I'm free, I run
but from heaven fall the bluebirds
they hit the ground
the sun warms my face, and I feel
it ain't the end for all the living,
it ain't no end for the living, no!
my intuition
and you interrupt my dream
you interrupt me
deep in here it is hidden
and you interrupt my dream
you interrupt me
you woke me up, I'm forgetting
and you interfere
you interrupt my dream
it's so autonomic...
05 Shimmering, Warm & Bright (03:17)
There’s an old, old giant
Sneaking around inside this house
Help move the cupboard
Make a huge barricade
So he won’t enter
Draw some life from the sun and the day
We heard a noise, and it took shape
I mean cold, cold blood
Running right through deep inside our veins
What is he gonna tell us?
Shimmering, warm and bright
Shimmering warm on the opposite side
Isn’t he gonna tempt us?
Shimmering, warm and bright
We need a helping hand
We have lost our touch
If his shadow appears
We’re going to fall apart
I mean we got addicted long time ago
But that spooky, old giant won’t withdraw
Give me a sign, oh good omen
Give me a sign, oh good omen
What if he does resent us?
Shimmering, warm and bright
Shimmering warm on the opposite side
Isn’t he gonna tempt us?
Shimmering, warm and bright
08 Le Temps dégagé (04:42)
A présent, oui, juste à l'instant
Le temps dégagé
Mes yeux las sont fermés
En regardant les tout petits points
Je m'assoupis, m'assoupis
Ca, c'est la folie; ne pas dormir de la nuit
Tu me dis: peut-être qu'il faut
Retrouver les sens
Discerner les nuances
Mais comme tu vois; le coup des points
C'est la pleine lune, la pleine lune
Qui m'a faite comme ça et oh-la-la
Ca fait du bien
Embrasse-moi!
Si bien
Tu me donnes la chair de poule
Ca fait du bien
Rien n'est comme la lune qui saoule
Ca fait du bien
A présent, oui, juste à l'instant
Le temps dégagé
Mes oreilles ont bougé
Et donc bientôt mes rêves se seront
Accomplis, accomplis
Oui, on aurait dit qu'elle est la source
De mon plaisir
Faisons l'amour!
Si bien
Tu me donnes la chair de poule
Ca fait du bien
Rien n'est comme la lune qui saoule
Ca fait du bien
Si bien
Des illusions d'optique
Ca fait rien!
Rien n'est comme ces heures magiques
Ca fait du bien
09 Spiderdust (03:59)
she lived in limbo
time showed no mercy
until a man in grey gave her
doses of a sweet poision
she got hoodooed, voodooed
she finally got released
she stirred huge cauldrons
with toads and henbane and...
spiderdust, spiderdust!
hotchpotch for haunted lusts
spiderdust, spiderdust!
hotchpotch for the evil-eyed
spiderdust, spiderdust!
hotchpotch for spellbound lusts
spiderdust, spiderdust!
hotchpotch for the demonized...
she got voodooed, hoodooed
she got finally redeemed
she stirred huge cauldrons
with toads and henbane and...
she bred toads
she got burnt
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