Having been born and raised in America and therefore a lifelong listener of American music, I am always curious to hear the spin that other singers, songwriters, and musicians from all around the world put on my country’s music that I love so dearly.
With this in mind, it was with eager anticipation that I listened to We Wither, We Bloom, the new album from the Norweigan band and leader of the burgeoning Nordicana movement, The Northern Belle.
My reaction to the collection of songs put forth by this band on this, their first international release, was instantaneous – I love this band and their music!
Listening to them, I hear folk, country, country rock, and 60s pop mixed in a myriad of ways to form an original, delightful, and varied sound that I believe is one of the brightest right now in the Americana music world in terms of exuberance and emotion.
While the highlights for me include the soaring and spirited “Remember It,” the wondrously defiant and anthemic “Late Bloomer,” the beautifully somber “Lonely,” the classic country sounding “Evelyn” and the sweetly stirring “Love Of Mine,” the truth is, all of the songs on this album are wonderfully crafted, both melodically and lyrically speaking.
The themes of love, heartbreak, longing, individuality, revenge, and motherhood, to name just a few, are at the forefront in these songs and are superbly matched to their respective song arrangements and buoyant harmonies.
The undeniable grandness of this record is not only a testament to the power and mixability of American music but also to the greatness of this superbly talented band as well.
Ultimately, The Northern Belle strikes me as a musical group that is only going to get better over time as they continue to hone and perfect their considerable skills behind the leadership of frontwoman Stine Andreassen. We Wither, We Bloom, I also believe, will stand as just one of the many great tour de force records this band will create as they progress forward towards musical perfection.
We Wither, We Bloom (Die With Your Boots On Records) by The Northern Belle was produced by Marcus Forsgren and is now available on the band’s Bandcamp page .