This time we have music from Norway although the title of the band does not fit in that. Searching For A Quiet Place is the second album from Magnify The Sound. In 2023 they made the album Don't Give Us That Face, which has no review on our website. When I take a look at the band's name, Magnify The Sound, my eyebrows lift and I think: hmmm... what can we expect from a band with such a name? And to be honest, I cannot give it some hands and feet. That is so nice to think about what you read or see, mostly the music will be different to what you imagine. The band still consists of Trond Engum who plays guitar and live processing and Carl Haakon Waadeland who plays drums and percussion. Newcomers are Sturla Eide who plays fiddle and Hardanger fiddle and Tone Åse who lends her voice to the music. The delivered info says that this is music you can immerse yourself in and return to, a soundscape that invites listeners to find their own stories, and rewards repeat plays. Another lyric I read says it is experimental music. Well, that sounds inviting to me, I feel welcome without listening for one second. Maybe it is time to listen to the music and write something down for all who reads this review, my attention has been drawn. The first title is a bit strange, Once Upon A Breath. Okay? What will my ears hear? To be honest, close your eyes while listening to this music. Another tip is put your headphones on. The third tip is put all the lights off. The fourth tip is to lie on the couch or in bed. The last tip is to play the album loud! Tone's voice enters, just like scary sounds that haunt you. As if you are in a movie. During this first experience, towards the end, rhythmic drums as Tone gives expression with her voice without singing words. It pulls you. The second experience is the title track, Searching For A Quiet Place. A slow starter, but directly your attention has been drawn because you do not know where the music will go, although it is a bit of a sad intro. And then it is the turn of Sturla to let you hear that he can play fiddle in a way you can only say that it is going through marrow and bone. He is supported by Trond who makes it complete. Just listen and wipe your tears away, so beautiful. In this song the drumming and percussion is so important, wow, how incredibly well they complement each other. This one is a great improvisation how music can sound if you do what your heart is telling you to do, no more and no less. This song should have lasted forever as far as I am concerned. The second experience flows into the next one, Lost Somewhere Else. This time Tone's voice enters, while fading away after just she started, Sturla and his fiddle is there again, just as the drumming of Carl. This time Carl takes the leading role and you can hear he is really angry. It seems there is a battle between the drumming and the fiddle. Towards the end the anger subsides and another time the song flows into the next one, Guided By Bells. This time the bells are really guiding the song. It is another improvisation where the voice of Tone is so important, she directs your experience and againyou can feel your tears coming in this story you can create by yourself. What magic! Then it is time for the longest experience, Within The Circles Of A Siren. Again it starts as an improvisation. There is not really a direction in all the sounds that comes your way. The guiding voice tries to pave a way for you. It all takes it's time. Halfway you can hear a guitar solo, yes, it is really true. Also the solo takes it's time and you can feel this one in your whole body. After this the song becomes a bit directionless. For me this song had to end after the guitar solo. The sixth and last experience is called You Might Find A Butterfly. So nice again that my thoughts are going everywhere thinking about a butterfly and how that fits into music. A tapestry of keyboard sounds is coming your way when Carl needs to be heard with his excellent drumming. The chemistry together is excellent. You can feel the tension all over and in your body in this piece of music. This is music making at a high level. When you disappear again into the film you made yourself, it is impossible not to add a drummer into it. I cannot say it enough, but what a chemistry. If the sixth experience is over, the album is already done. Maybe the length of the album is the only complaint of this beautiful and fantastic trip. After listening to this album I listened to the predecessor a few times. The adding of the voice and the fiddle has an enormous added value on the second disc and that is exactly what I miss on Don't Give Us That Face. Because of this I found the first album more as a complete improvisation and the second one has a lot more structure in the songs, or as I mentioned them experiences. What makes this music so special is that every time you listen to it, another movie will take place in your imagination. It all depends on how you are feeling at that moment. For me this music is so special just because of all different imaginations. I highly recommend this one. **** Michel Stolk (edited by Tracy van Os van den Abeelen) Where to buy? |
