Recently Heard: Spindelsinn and Pilot, both by Kari Rueslatten

Kari Rueslatten: Spindelsinn
Kari: Pilot

This, I have been looking for many a year. I first heard an advance copy of Spindlesinn several years before it was officially released in 1997, when it was still just a simplistic demo with Kari and some synths. Erica, then-wife of a then-co-worker, then a vocalist for Autumn Tears, now vocalist for the Austin-based Ignitor, loaned me her copy, and was trying to get another, but we moved, they moved, and we lost touch.

With all the focus recently on skalds and other things Viking, I was inspired to go after a bunch of different Norwegian pieces, and I discovered three from Kari were available through Amazon.com and added them to my wish list. Now, thanks to some unknown person, I'm listening to this at last - and not the demo, but the finished product.

Beautiful voice, beautiful music. I'll have to do some translation on the Norwegian lyrics, but if I remember, these are all fairy tales - can't recall if they're strictly retellings, or if many liberties were taken. The title track is, I believe, Sleeping Beauty - or the bit about the spindle, anyway. Think of Loreena McKennit, focusing a much more on the voice, and playing piano instead of harp. And, of course, singing in Norwegian. And, in my opinion, possessing a better voice.

Right before listening to Spindlesinn, I played Kari's 2002 release Pilot, which is more electronica - there's still some of the folk elements in some of the melodies, but the music evokes more of a Tori Amos or Fiona Apple feel than that of a traditional Norwegian folk tune. That, and the lyrics are in English. The thing it shows the most, however, is the versatility of the voice.