ALBUM REVIEW: ENN – Eivør
Since the year 2000, Faroese singer EIVØR has wowed the world with a brand of Nordic Folk music that sends the listener on a journey every time. This summer sees the release of her eleventh album, ENN, which once again takes us by the hand and lets us follow the latest chapter in her saga. If you’re after something a little different to have in your ears, then ENN is definitely the album for you.
It’s a very slow album, but by no means does that take away from its quality. It’s a calming presence that you may very well need in your life every so often. Kicking off proceedings is the stunning opener Ein Klóta. Backed with only a piano and a beautiful sounding string section, it gives off a wonderfully otherworldly vibe that is just wonderful to listen to. EIVØR’s vocals add to this song, singing in her native tongue sometimes in a folky manner and at others turning to almost an operatic sound which she manages with ease – her versatility as a singer shows no bounds.
Almost immediately, next track Jarðartrá brings a more electronic sound to the party. A foreboding synth beat drives the song and brings in a more contemporary feel to the record. Alongside the powerful vocals that help the listener to conjure far away lands before endeavouring on an adventure, it’s definitely something that wouldn’t feel amiss on the God Of War soundtrack, which EIVØR has featured on in the last few years. Hugsi Bert Um Teg focuses solely on the newer sound, adding more and more layers to ENN and showing that EIVØR isn’t afraid to adopt differing styles throughout the record. Returning once more to a subdued feeling is Purpurhjarta. Guided along by mostly piano and the return of a string section, it settles the album back down to how it began as the mystical vocals mesmerise the listener again.
Halfway through the record is the title track – a seven-minute opus which doesn’t outstay its welcome for a second. Here, both styles of folk and electronic music that have been prevalent throughout the record combine to make a wonderful track. It feels like it could be the soundtrack to an adventure and helps you easily conjure images of mountainous Nordic landscapes and volcanoes billowing out smoke, with a pulsating guitar that compliments the tinkering piano and haunting vocals perfectly. It continues to build perfectly throughout before ending at what almost feels like the beginning of the track once more. It works as the perfect segue into next track Lívsandin which gives us a bit more of the same but with added guitars.
The album is chock full of standouts, but it’s the penultimate track Upp Úr Øskuni that proves to be the best. The epic scale that is displayed throughout the record is on fine form here. The opening vocals almost feel like you’re part of a Viking ritual that would result in the coming of Loki or Surtr. They’re a wonderfully wicked sounding whisper with a distorted effect over them as chanting is heard throughout. Clean vocals feature too alongside the maniacal whispering and once again work wonders alongside each other. There’s an awful lot going on all at once, but that just adds to the track’s epicness. The guitar that plays throughout also has a Viking sound to it that adds a sinister tone to the track and keeps you wowed throughout. The final track, Gaia, ends the record how it started, with a wonderful display of vocals that offer that ethereal vibe that almost feels like you’re soaring through the clouds and being at one with the earth. Whilst not of Norse mythology, Gaia is the personification of the Earth in Greek mythology, so ENN’s finale helps you to feel at one with all your surroundings.
ENN is one of this year’s best releases. It’s a calm, soothing record that needs to be listened to on the biggest speakers possible. It has that epicness you’d find in a Hans Zimmer soundtrack whilst being its own being entirely. If you want to experience this album fully, the best way to do it is to listen in a completely dark room. It helps you fully relax and makes you feel that everything in that moment is fine, even when it isn’t. It’s food for the soul and helps to cleanse your mind of all bad thoughts and feelings – definitely a record you can’t afford to miss.
Rating: 9/10
ENN is set for release on June 14th via Season Of Mist.
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