Review Summary: Norwegian Psycho.
The third edition to Arne Asmund’s ever growing auditory nightmare brings with it creative lyrics, great instrumentation and deceiving tempos.
I feel that ‘When the Circus Came to Town’ contains some of the best songs from Åsmund’s career, as well as a couple that have yet to grow on me.
The first track, Kerosene, did not grab me initially. But after a few playthroughs of the album, I find that it fits in nicely as a soft start. The story of a young boy burning himself alive due to an unfortunate love rejection comes with great lyrical imagery (a trade mark in the last two albums).
My favourite song on this album has to be ‘Friday Night at The Whittingham’. This song never ceases to entertain me with its brilliant rhymes and upbeat vibes. This one is about a man who breaks out of the infamous psychiatric hospital. This is such a happy song, and each verse details a different character thrown into the path of this newly sober psycho. I love the story, and the accordion sections work well in the chorus, adding to a rather manic feel.
‘The Carpet’ is a preppy, simple and care free ballad about a man looking on the bright side of having a knife in his head. I won’t go into more detail here, the lyrics do a great job of supplying the visuals.
There are a couple songs that I have not quite grown accustom to. They’re not bad songs, they are just taking a little longer to grow on me. These include ‘Come Home’ and ‘You and Me’. The stories are not quite as provoking as others. However, if you’re looking for slow and quiet tracks with some nice guitars, these will do you well. I just find myself drawn toward the faster songs.
For the best of both worlds, the title track will suffice. I really like this one – It has a peaceful first minute, with no mention of death or murder. Then he starts singing about death and murder.
Similar to Whittingham, the song mentions different characters and how they were done away with. A footballer, a painter and a maths teacher are just a few referred to. It’s a very poetic song, and the violins are especially prominent, giving the ending a rather French-noir vibe.
‘Never Been Written’ is just creepy.
Åsmund’s vocals are, once again, on point. His voice remains as soft as ever. It’s really nothing that needs improving upon.
‘When the Circus Came to Town’ is probably on the same level as ‘The Beauty of Psychiatry’. It brings with it some of Åsmund’s most notable works, and that’s all I’m looking for. It really doesn’t need to be anything more, in my eyes.
