Lene Marlin
Lost in a Moment

THE REVIEW

My lucky day must have been when I stumbled upon the rising star of Tromsø, Lene Marlin. All I can say is that this Norwegian girl writes simple and catchy songs, but they're not silly at all. What would it be like without her? I hope you’re happy anyway, someone might say to me. But what if...? Leave my mind, Lene, and also the player! Sure, when you were around (well, not really you, Lene...) it was a whole different thing. Sometimes knowing is painful, better never know. With my eyes closed, I let "Lost in a Moment," her third album, spin in the player. It’s true, there would have been a lot fewer emotions without her. I wish I could... (do... or be...), but let’s get back to the music.

There are eleven songs on this album released in 2005, and the Norwegian star hits the mark eleven times. No missteps, not a single one. There is so much joy in this music: when listening to "How Would It Be," for instance. But it’s not a frivolous joy, self-serving. There’s the awareness that life also consists of painful moments, that among the scars we carry inside "some are recent, others have been there for years" ("Never To Know"). Lene the star looks at others, yet knows that she cannot lie to herself: "I wish I could say that it’s all fine, but it’s not / If I could choose, I’d leave everything behind / If I could choose, I’d chase you from my mind" ("Leave My Mind").

Sometimes even the mainstream has something to teach us, if it’s proposed by the timid star of Tromsø, if in a handful of songs it turns into the maelstrom of feelings: "I was lost in a moment, I was lost in you / I tried to ignore it, but then I had to face the day" ("All I Can Say"). All of this amidst the continuous crackle of acoustic guitars, doubled by electric guitars when more consistency is needed. In between, the breath of Lene’s voice. A good album, this one: sometimes even the easiest pop has a soul.