Bel Canto
Shimmering, Warm & Bright

THE REVIEW

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.