Spindel - Aminje / RootsWorld Recording Review

Spindel - Aminje

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Spindel
Aminje
Grappa (www.grappa.no)
On their first album, Spindel was the female duo Liv Merete Kroken and Sigrid Moldestad. Since then, the three guests on their debut CD have been officially included in the band. Spindel is thus a quintet with a surprisingly varied sound. The fiddlers are always in the foreground, and the background created by the three newcomers is at times very interesting. Pump organs and marimbas are not frequently heard in Norwegian folk music, but it turns out both instruments blend in very well. Hardanger fiddles can sound fairly crisp, and the soft timbre of the marimbas therefore comes as a nice addition to several tunes.
Dagfinns Andersen's ethereal pump organ is simply gorgeous on the Swedish "Polska." Percussionist Ivar Kolve is given unusual freedom and space compared to what's common in this genre, but when his playing veers towards a loud, banging style, it no longer support the melody. While "Storesl�tten" and "Preikaren" both have lively melodies, the drumming and heavy pump organ drone make them somewhat saggy and stiff; a brighter tempo on some of the tunes would not have hurt them. Kroken and Moldestad are competent tunesmiths and fiddlers. On their duet "Springarspindel," we hear spirited and nuanced interplay on some uplifting springars. All in all, Aminje is a pleasant album with variation, originality and good performances. - Staffan Jonsson
CD available from cdRoots

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