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Kaada, "Music for Moviebikers"
The new album from Norway's Kaada is the perfect soundtrack for break-ups, homesickness, or rainy day navel-gazing. Since there isn't that much going on that commands attention, it's an album that's not distracting during moments of introspection.
Even though the group has a variety of orchestral instruments at their disposal, their statements are more atmospheric than melodic. Voices are used infrequently, but when they do show up, they usually accent the song with wordless pitches rather than lyrics. One of the few exceptions is "Mainstreaming," light fare which adapts words from the Ninth Century Moslem poet Sidna Ali. I can't argue that the music isn't played well, yet nothing about the album strikes me as distinctive or alluring. There's a sameness found on most of the tracks that makes them individually forgettable even as they contribute to the album's singular mood of general sadness. Beyond that, the specifics are difficult to determine, as if the group tries to encompass a few additional emotions within each song but fails to encapsulate the song's true intention.
I'm also a little confused about the "moviebiker" in the title because there's certainly nothing in the music remotely rebellious along the lines of The Wild One or Easy Rider. In fact, the album's so tame that I could safely play any of the tracks for my grandmother. Who knows, she might even enjoy songs like "The Mosquito and the Abandoned Old Woman" or "Retirement Community" more than I did. In a way, this album is like musical cotton candy. Despite some passages of delicate sweetness, these moments are too ephemeral to register and leave me with an earful of fluff.
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