Review Summary: The yang to Skuggsjá's yin, but with much the same delivery and passion.
Back in 2016, Ivar Bjornson and Einar Selvik both surprised and delighted the respective fanbases of their main bands with a likely collaboration, initially intended to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the Norwegian constitution. However, it became more than a mere one-time live experience, going on to be released in album format and thus was opened up to a much wider audience. That debut effort,
Skuggsjá-A Piece for Mind and Mirror, demonstrated a sound and precise fusion of Enslaved's atmospheric extreme metal bravado and Wardruna's more gentle albeit still soulful neofolk, though at the same time was taken as a musically unrelated project to both members' full-time bands.
Imagine the surprise then at the announcement of a sophomore effort then, entitled
Hugsjá. From what was initially intended as more of a side project to now being a collaboration which reportedly shows no signs of stopping, Bjornson and Selvik's work seems to be in full flavour. From the get-go
Hugsjá seems to be rife with atmospheric vigour, though there is very little evidence here of Bjornson's input, at least regarding his work with Enslaved. Instead, this second full-length release demonstrates a more spiritual musical journey virtually untouched by any form of metal-or "heavy" music, for that matter. What was once bombastic electric guitars and the odd neolithic growl is now acoustic, folk-orientated riff work and Selvik's harmonious ululations. Songs such as the opening title track and "WulthuR" are perfect examples for this softer musical direction. Utilizing a lot more influence from folk-orientated instruments, particularly the Taglharpa and goat horn, these two aforementioned songs seem rife with transitions between wispy, dramatic musicianship which is worlds apart from any grittier edges appearing in
Skuggsjá. The performance and delivery is much the same: Bjornson and Selvik have clearly put their minds and souls into this second effort, but the listening experience is somewhat less immediate and the overall impression the listener gets from it will depend largely on whether or not you can enjoy Wardruna's work.
Hugsjá is predominantly an album rooted deep in the world of Nordic folk and neofolk, perhaps more so than its predecessor. There are times however where the more repetitive nature of songs such as "Ni Dotre av Hav" and "Nattseglar" result in a less immediate affair, inviting the listener to have repeated listens. Again, this is nothing new to a Wardruna fan, particularly the musical aspect. Selvik is clearly no stranger to performing folk-oriented melodies and stretching them out over a runtime of more than five minutes, but what sets the performance apart from this effort and Wardruna is Bjornson's faint dabbling with synthesisers and a heavy albeit still clinical use of acoustic guitars. Although his influence in the recording is sometimes hidden and pushed towards the back of the mix (something which affects about half of the album but not in a bad way), the case remains that it adds to an atmosphere which would otherwise have sounded lacking, again depending on how you like a certain melody repeated and built upon from its start. Bjornson never actually dominates any of the songs here, making
Hugsjá seem more of a Selvik-dominated effort, but his work behind the scenes shouldn't go unnoticed. The more bombastic, haunting thrum of "Nytt Land", for example, is full to the brim with wide-eyed operatics and with the more defined transitions from ambiance to operatic folk harmonies, the song becomes one of the album's finest songs. "Oska" similarly seeks to impress but utilizes different arrangements, the added female vocal work and mesmerizing goat horn compositions resulting in another outstanding performance, influenced equally by both members of this collaboration.
As with
Skuggsjá,
Hugsjá is all about the journey through the album and not necessarily how it begins or ends. Even if it takes you a while to get into the opening title track and "WulthuR", the prominent bravado of "Nytt Land" and "Um Heilage Fjell"'s epic progression will render the general mood more uplifting, providing a rare moment where both Bjornson and Selvik sing together, an aspect which elsewhere on the album is eschewed. "Nordvegen" may appear at first to be an odd one out of sorts, largely because it's the one song chosen to utilize synthesiers and electronica as a seemingly questionable alternative to the usual neofolk and acoustic leanings. Yet with a deeper listen the tone is very much the same, the accessible rhythms still referencing a traditional Nordic pulse coupled with Selvik's usual soaring vocal performance. The album closer is superbly fitting too, though prefers to end in an open-ended way, almost as if it were the intro to a new, upcoming record. "Um Heilage Fjell" feels as much like an ode to Nordic folklore as it does a purposeful finish. However, it's general tone is frequently uplifting and demonstrates a grouped vocal performance to emphasize and expand the musical scenario. Essentially,
Hugsjá's song placements are spot on.
With a largely unexpected sophomore effort which seems to have come out of the blue, Bjornson and Selvik have done nothing out of the ordinary (considering this is what both musicians do for life) yet at the same time created an opus close to the hearts of both themselves and fans alike. In a way,
Hugsjá is the gentler yang to
Skuggsjá's yin, both albums serving as a different side to one another. Yet whereas the latter was rife with rawer emotional and spiritual conflict, the former encapsulates its gentler and calmer musical notions, resulting in a set of songs which require repeated listens to grow and grow. Not many expected a second effort from this collaboration between Ivar Bjornson and Einar Selvik, but then again not many really expected
Skuggsjá upon its announcement.
