Album Review: Hanne Hukkelberg - Blood From A Stone
- Written by Richard Wink
The soft, delicate voice of Hanne Hukkelberg lures the listener into a false sense of security, as you drift into a land of snow capped hillsides and winter sun.
The Norwegian singer-songwriter throws in an unsettling pool of heartbreak and isolation. All of the songs on Blood From A Stone were written during a sojourn on the Norwegian Island of Senja, a long way away from the 24-hour city of Berlin where the last album was written. In terms of inspiration and atmosphere the choice of location seems to have been a massive influence.
Blood From A Stone also contains a whole host of field recordings (train doors, seagulls and all kinds of knocks and bangs), taking the old Martin Hannett approach, something that Hukkelberg has done before on previous releases. This creates a stripped back, less dynamic and certainly unusual percussion. The other noteworthy feature on this album is her voice control, Hukkelberg possesses a powerful and versatile voice yet she almost deliberately goes out of the way to harness that power as much as possible, where as other singers might want to showcase their power and go into Aretha/Mariah/Whitney/Leona mode, Hukkelberg fashions an altogether more potent weapon from her vocal cords.
Hukkelberg's conjures a sense of intimacy, allowing for the music to carry you through a serene thought provoking drift, the soothing heartbeat that pumps throughout opening song 'Midnight Sun Dream' is somewhat maternal, carrying her words in a sumptuous banquet with a splendid careful arrangement. “There is no despair†cleverly references the calmness in her lyrics. The song presents a very disarming start, though you can't help but sense a bubbling undercurrent of turbulence.
Veering from the simple, playful acoustic melody of 'Bandy Riddles' to the ominous orchestration of 'Salt of the Earth', Blood from A Stone shows that Hukkelberg is not afraid to experiment. 'In Here - Out There' has a stunning Motorik-esque rhythm whilst 'No One But Yourself' could be a lost Pixies song with its quiet/loud structure; obviously the band are an influence since 'Break My Body' is a staple of Hukkelberg's live setlist. The biggest joy comes last, in the shape of the joyous 'Bygd Til By', the only sung in Hukkelberg's native tongue. It's reminiscent of Liz Frazer from the Cocteau Twins.
Whilst Bat for Lashes is currently receiving a lot of attention for her quirky dress sense as much as her music, Hanne Hukkelberg cuts away the glitter and gold, displaying a reflective, personal majesty that avoids being an over dramatic kitchen-sink Narnian drama. Expect this to be the Norwegian's breakthrough release.