There
are certain bands in the neo-prog
rock movement that deserves your attention
without any questions. One of these
is White Willow, which offers us their
fifth release of their career. The
Norwegian sextet, leaded by Jacob
Holm-Lupo, is hailed as the one of
the most important bands that come
from this Scandinavic country, together
with Anekdoten and Wobbler (where,
Lars Fredrik Frøisle, the keyboard
wizard of White Willow, participates).
So this new step in their career is
significant for all of us, who enjoy
this kind of sound, especially when
we left the masterpiece "Storm
Season" of 2004 behind us (find
it immediately at any cost).
"Signal to
Noise" is much more different
that the previous album and in first
sight much plainer. The first statement
is true, the second one false. "Signal
to Noise" is a very difficult
album and very demanding. It requests
strongly your whole attention and
reveals each and every time you listen
to it new things that initially went
unnoticed. Trude Eidtang, the new
vocalist, has brought new air in the
room where the band rehearses and
we should investigate whether this
modernity found in their sound is
totally based solely on her voice
or not. "Signal to Noise"
sounds more modern than "Storm
Season" or any other of the
previous releases. The folk parts
are diminished, as well as the flute
parts that gave a romantic touch.
Trude Eidtang surely added to this
modernization, as her multi-dimensional
voice is a mixture of Tori Amos, Kate
Bush and Annie Lennox, while the former
Sylvia Erichsen, was closer to Ann-Marie
Edvarsen of The 3rd and the Mortal.
But I think that it was a conscious
decision for this direction. There
are some up-tempo and joyful moments,
like "Joyride", and moments
of mellow clarity and affective like
"The Lingering" and "The
Dark Road". The two multi-layered
instrumentals, "Ghosts"
(the title reflects exactly the atmosphere
of the song) and "Chrome Dawn",
are the healing potion for all prog-rock
patients. The powerful and melodic
"Night Surf" and "Dusk
City" (just listen to the enormous
bass-lines by Marthe Berger Walthinsen)
complete the collage of this fifth
release, which has been under the
art auspices of Killustrations and
the sound directions and production
of Tommy Hansen.
To be honest this
isn't what I expected, but then
again White Willow always changes
faces and forms. The significant point
is that the very essence of the band
is here, signaling and waiting for
you respond.
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