Ane Brun
(Cheap Lullaby)
With an arched but expressive eloquence similar to Tori Amos and Kate Bush, and an added dash of folk finesse and back porch serendipity besides, Norway's Ane Brun offers up an effervescent set of spare but luminous soundscapes. Brun's lilting, quivering soprano conjures up a rare mix of emotions, at once both fragile and seductive, aloof and yet alluring. She makes the most emphatic impression with only minimal additives, employing guitar, piano, violin, viola, marimba and unobtrusive background vocals to enhance the atmospheric appeal.
While some may also find a similarity with Nick Drake - especially in the sadness and solitude of "Linger With Pleasure" and "Lullaby For Grown-ups" - Brun never allows her music to dally with despair. To the contrary, Changing of the Seasons is as illuminating as its title implies and every bit as beautiful.
Standout tracks: "The Fall," "Linger With Pleasure" LEE ZIMMERMAN
