Myrkur's latest offering, Folkesange, still celebrates a lot of the tropes she's known for, but takes things in a much more folk direction. This album is particularly exciting because Myrkur, aka Amalie Bruun, dove full-force into folk, covering classic songs, writing her own in the style of those old songs, and utilizing classic instrumentation to build her sound.
"Fager som en Ros" is one of the standout tracks on the album and features the tagelharpa, a traditional, bowed instrument. It breaks new ground with its wild, almost lyrical sound, and really transports the listener back to days of old. She's asserted that it's important to her with this record to create a cohesive piece that channels a classic sound.
"Ramund" is a traditional, Danish folk song from the 1600s. The song utilizes the nyckelharpa, another Scandinavian traditional stringed instrument. Just a study of this album alone opens the listener up to new realms.
Overall, it's clear that Folkesange is striving to be more than just a black metal masterpiece or a pop-inspired collection of powerful ballads. Although it still touches on those elements, it's an important record because it does dig so deeply into the tradition of folk music, as many records in black metal are tending to do. It digs into the sounds celebrated in days of old, and is the perfect addition to your collection.
So, if viral conditions have you trapped behind closed doors, give this album a spin and support a musician and mother in these tough times by purchasing this gorgeous record.
