Ane Brun

A cross between Bjork and Jesse Sykes, Ane Brun breathes some fresh folk — with a melancholic twist — into the North American air with her strong debut on this side of the pond. The disc opens with the engaging and trance-like "To Let Myself Go." Following that, the two-time Norwegian Alarm Award winner sings another nine gloomy tales that grab the listener by the throat. The title cut is a morose metaphor where Brun describes how gets so low, yet she "build[s] a ladder from broken wishbones and square-shaped stones." "Song No. 6" is a powerful duet with Canuck songwriter Ron Sexsmith and, on "Rubber & Soul," the Scandinavian songstress teams up with Teitur for another arresting duet. Minimalism and melancholy never sounded so good together.

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