Livet-Nord – Paperbird
This set of 11 songs explores renewal, finding meaning in life despite grief & anger & better understanding your feelings. To know when to let go & move on. Life is a journey & it’s difficult to comprehend at times that it sometimes must be taken alone.
The album’s music was originally composed with poetics about a circus performance (created by Signe Veinholt) about an adolescent girl who grieves for her dead bird. Simple, but once the music surrounds it becomes more intense. The 42-minute 6-panel die-cut CD package was recorded in Sweden.
Produced by Livet-Nord (violin/Quinton/kalimba/vocals/midi instruments) — her first solo album Paperbird (Drops May 19-Kakapon Records) comes after she’d been featured on 60 other artists & performance LPs. It’s a showcase with many genres with help from many prominent musicians.
Ms. Livet-Nord has had an eclectic career with some music derived from minimalism, melancholy tinted by lush emotional tonalities, buoyant party music, circus waltzes & fairytale-like melodies. “Suddenly She Passed By,” “Wonder Waltz” & “Reminiscence Waltz” is music good enough for foreign films.
The pensive music conjures images, atmosphere & mood. The instruments seem to whisper to each other. The first tune has a French flavor – maybe even something from the old Jackie Gleason film “Gigot.” Scenes of an early Paris morning, sweeping the street, a dog running with a piece of bread in its mouth, a man getting a shoe shine on the corner reading the paper.
The varied sound escapades are encapsulating. “The Angry Girl,” is more inspired by Brecht-Weil with its deep tones surrounded by strings. The music could inspire writers as they listen since each tune tweaks the mind’s creativity & taps into the deep well where the inner voice interludes hide.
“Solace,” has a haunting gypsy violin tone with Livet-Nord’s childlike vocables. With “Hide & Seek,” & others — there are subtle suggestions of the work of Carla Bley, Paul Winter, Paul Mauriat (“Love Is Blue”) & Ferrante & Teicher (“Midnight Cowboy Theme”).
Beautiful stuff. Superb performances. Easily influential music that creeps into Americana.
Highlights –“Suddenly She Passed By,” “The Angry Girl,” “Hide & Seek,” “Wonder Waltz,” “Solace,” “Reminiscence Waltz” & the energetic “Elvis Elvis.”
Musicians – Daniel Wejdin (double bass), Camilla Astrom (accordion), Ruhi Erdogan (trumpet), Jonatan Ahlbom (tuba), Nils Berg (flute/tenor sax/bass clarinet), Jonas Knutsson (soprano sax), Lisa Langbacka (accordion/piano), Johanna Dahl (cello), Johan Olsson (accordion), Henrik Cederblom (banjo/electric guitar), Sofia Sanden & Johan Testad (vocals), Ebba Westerberg (drums/percussion), Klas-Henrik Horngren (synth), Robert Svard (cajon), Moa Danielsson (Bulgarian tapas/cymbals), Mikael Brostrom Eric (church organ) & Klara Goliger (Wurlitzer).
Color images courtesy of Daniel Bjorneke Wirgard/Hemifran/Livet-Nord website. CD @ https://www.livetnord.se/en/ensembles/livet-nord-paperbird-46368286 & https://www.hemifran.com/artist/Livet%20Nord/