If A Song Could Get Me You – Marit Larsen
I fell head over heels in love with Marit Larsen almost exactly two years ago based solely on one single song. She’s from Norway (and apparently a big deal in those parts) but getting access to any of her music out here was virtually impossible. So I was left with merely the glorious “Only a Fool” and eventually a few other tracks from that record, but it took almost another year before I finally obtained the whole thing.
Well, things move a little quicker these days so I’ve got her new record The Chase in time to review it for 2008. It’s still not readily available in the US, but it may very well be worth tracking down, or at least paying attention for the eventual American release. First things first, let’s admit that this is not the sort of record you’re going to use to burnish your indie credentials. While it has a buoyancy and unadulterated feeling to it that you will seldom find in the over-produced and stultified teen-pop that tops the chart, it is still definitely pop music.
That stipulated, let’s focus on a few things that make it come to life. First, there’s the harmonica that darts in and out to add a burst of life (see “The Chase” for example). Second, there’s the angelic chorus, given most obvious showing on the first single “If A Song Could Get Me You.” Third, the more folksy tracks (like “Fuel”) which sound intimate and genuine.
My one complaint is actually very similar to the one I registered about Anathallo (a very, very different band) yesterday: most of the songs lack a certain drive. What made “Only a Fool” such a brilliant song was the lilting groove to it. There’s nothing like that here. These aren’t ballads, for the most part, but they feel like ballads in their lack of locomotion. One of her major appeals is the deep sentimentality, but without the counterweight of a robust rhythm section it sometimes strides a bit too far into the realm of overwrought preciousness. On the more quick-paced tracks, things veer dangerously close to the realm of pure pop – see “Addicted” or “Ten Steps.”
Final verdict: it’s a solid record with a couple standouts, but can be a little bit much to absorb in large doses. For a while I thought it would just sneak into my top 25 for the year, but I’ve made a few recent discoveries that will probably leave this one just on the outside.