Exposé Online banner

Exposé Online

Not just outside the box, but denying the existence of boxes.
Covering music from the fringes since 1993.

Reviews

Excelsior — O Horizon
(Bandcamp Big Oil OIL035, 2019, LP / DL)

by Jon Davis, Published 2022-03-11

O Horizon Cover art

Even as someone who’s not a huge comic-book fan, I can’t help associating the word Excelsior with Stan Lee. The superhero creator’s catchphrase is so iconic it’s hard to ignore. As far as I can tell, that’s not where Danish musician Anja T. Lahrmann came up with her artistic name, but there’s no harm done either way. Excelsior sits in an area of mostly-electronic music somewhere between pop and experimental, with catchy melodies and accessible sounds mixed in with unexpected twists and turns which deliberately subvert the norms of pop music. There are diversions and interruptions that interrupt the flow of the songs, and interesting treatments on her voice and the instruments. Some of the pieces are built up from layered motifs that interlock into shifting rhythmic patterns, and her vocal arrangements are uniformly stellar. While on one level, the overall sound isn’t far off from well-known artists like Feist, Lorde, or Billie Eilish, Lahrmann has her own sound that could well appeal to fans of more experimental music. The mood is generally relaxed and meditative rather than energetic and dance-oriented. Each one of the ten songs has its own charm, and I can’t pick a favorite. Excelsior hits upon an intriguing balance of seeming randomness and spontaneity with the meticulous arrangements of her vocal parts. O Horizon is definitely worth checking out.

Filed under: New releases, 2019 releases

Related artist(s): Excelsior (Anja T. Lahrmann)

More info
http://thebigoilrecordingcompany.bandcamp.com/album/oil035-o-horizon

 

What's new

These are the most recent changes made to artists, releases, and articles.