I've known Ulver for quite
a couple of years, but they were never my priority, more like 'oh, so
you're looking for a decent Norwegian band? They're pretty good!' Yet
last week my friend comes over with her just-bought new album and is
all like 'Oh J, you have to listen to it!' Well then, I take the
package, look through the booklet, notice it's a covers' album and
they did my favourite Today! Oh, no lyrics. Anyway, the cd goes to my
player and...
You could ask – what's
the point of making 16 covers? What's the point of transforming good
old rock songs to dreamy Ulverish atmosphere? It's obvious that
characteristic voice of Kristoff immediately makes the songs
Ulverish, also the music is much more complex and programmed than in
original versions – but apart from those tiny changes, there ain't
many drastic alters. The great thing about this album is that is
shows us some really good, poorly known songs in a beautiful,
refreshed version.
Let's take 66-5-4-3-2-1 of
The Troggs. That's a really nice song – catchy, with amazing rhythm
and quite a melody – yet the original doesn't really amaze with
quality and emotion. Wheres Ulver's version is simply sparkling with
passion, even most critical friends of mine admired it.
Still, the first charm of
the album is Everybody's Been Burning – great lyric of The Byrds, a
bit harsh and over psychedelic if you're not on drugs music– now
made as a smooth, swingy, and yet so longing tune.
Oh, and Dark is the
Bark (what a lousy title, The Left Banke!) is a sweetest waltzy tune,
hypnotizing me to fall right away to Magic Hollow – a truly
unearthly sound (that 'fantastic'! I bet Garm enjoys Chris Eccleston
just as much as I do!)
Maybe it's the image of exams fading
away, maybe it's the night, but there is something so liberating
about Soon There Will Be Thunder – my overheated body slowly drifts
in the long forgotten wind and even saddish Velvet Sunsets or Lament
of the Astral Boy won't take that away. Well, actually the second
kind of gets through my numbness, but that's probably because of
another spaces memories...
Even in case of old
friends like – Jefferson Airplane's Today that has had a special
place in my heart for a really long time – I didn't mind hearing it
on Childhood's End. In fact, it only added more fire to my feelings.
I could go on much
longer, praising lovely folk atmosphere of The Trap or feisty In The
Past or pure, super energetic power of I Had Too Much To Dream Last
Night (love the title) – but I've been writing this post for two
weeks now, still I am fighting my battles and the album is a 'just
listen', so excuse me – and just listen to this fantastic album.
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