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

Reviews

Frifot — Sluring
(NorthSide NSD6076, 2003, CD)

Sluring Cover art

For those (such as myself) still finding their way into the Scandinavian folk revival via the NorthSide label, this one is a great new find. Frifot is the highly respected Swedish trio of Per Gudmundsun, Ale Möller, and Lena Willemark, who have achieved renown within this context and also as solo artists. Sluring is actually their fifth studio release, though only their second on NorthSide. The core Frifot sound combines Gudmundsun on fiddle, Möller on mandola, and Willemark on fiddle and vocal, both in arrangements of traditional pieces and on contemporary and original works. The effect is not dissimilar to any number of current traditional folk outfits with a female singer, Altan, Groupa, and Bukkene Bruse being examples, though there’s a sense of authenticity and command on these 17 pieces rarely seen elsewhere. While all three musicians are amazing, special notice must be paid to Möller’s instrumental versatility and Willemark’s arresting voice, akin in timbre and style to Sandy Denny. The trio brings a particular joy and vibrancy to the uptempo pieces such as “Mikkel Per / Kus Erik” and the title track while imparting a disarming grace and beauty to others like “Den Signade Dag” and “Simlångsvalsen.” This album features more of the group's three-part harmony work than previous efforts, and all are terrific, whether in the context of work songs (“Baxarramsor från Stockholm”) or medieval adaptations (“Werlden är underlig”). Fans of traditional folk and previous NorthSide offerings owe it to themselves to pick this one up — it’s a complete delight.

by Paul Hightower, Published 2003-12-01

Is anybody out there saying Enough of this Nordic folk stuff, already? So many of us here at Exposé seem to be obsessed with it that I can imagine some readers being baffled. I can’t explain why this music appeals to so many fans of progressive and experimental music, but the evidence is incontrovertible. The genre-bursting stuff like Hedningarna and Garmarna is easy to explain, but Frifot is definitely oriented toward the traditional. Admittedly, it is the traditions of a part of the world that is very far from what most of us at the magazine grew up with. My own ancestry is almost entirely English, so I can’t explain why ancient songs sung in Swedish should appeal to me. But they do, and I’m wasting time and effort if I try to analyze further. The quality of the musicianship is undeniable, and the three of them cover about a dozen instruments (from such common things as fiddles to shawms and cow’s horns) with equal skill and energy. And they all sing beautifully, both individually and in combinations. This is the kind of thing you might try on a whim, and be surprised at yourself for enjoying, but if you play it for your friends, you’ll get strange looks. All of which applies only to those of us living outside Scandinavia. If you live there, the reaction is likely quite different, maybe more like the recent American trend of bluegrass updated for modern ears (think Nickel Creek).

by Jon Davis, Published 2003-12-01

Filed under: New releases, Issue 28, 2003 releases

Related artist(s): Frifot

 

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