Description:
Recording under the Magnet name for a second time, Norway's Even Johansen opens up wellsprings of melody and gushing choruses on The Tourniquet. As wistfully tuneful as Pernice Brothers, but with the shimmering production of something closer to Keane, Johansen's record is broad and grandly romantic. It's also undercut with tiny, Mum-like nips of electronica blips that give the sweeping grandeur a little counterpoint. The record opener "Hold On" especially profits from the contrast, pitting a plucky banjo against laptop pops and a livewire keyboard motif. Meanwhile, the quietly effective "Jaws" lopes through
Recording under the Magnet name for a second time, Norway's Even Johansen opens up wellsprings of melody and gushing choruses on The Tourniquet. As wistfully tuneful as Pernice Brothers, but with the shimmering production of something closer to Keane, Johansen's record is broad and grandly romantic. It's also undercut with tiny, Mum-like nips of electronica blips that give the sweeping grandeur a little counterpoint. The record opener "Hold On" especially profits from the contrast, pitting a plucky banjo against laptop pops and a livewire keyboard motif. Meanwhile, the quietly effective "Jaws" lopes through laid-back verses before blossoming into a generous, strings-driven choral build. Johansen gets carried away here and there; "Fall at Your Feet" comes off too sugary sweet, and like a few other songs on the record ("Duracellia"), suffers from underbaked lyrics. While he may not yet have troubadour status, his skills and authority as a singer-songwriter are obvious. But despite being admirably clean and painless, this Tourniquet would be better off it was just a tad bloodier. –Matthew Cooke
Album Details
Magnet,aka Even Johansen, Another Resident of the Norwegian Hit Factory Town of Begen, Follows Up the Hugely Acclaimed Debut 'on Your Side'.
... (more)
(less)
Manufacturer: Atlantic
Release date: 22 August 2005
EAN: 5050467900325
My tags:
Add tags
Login
