Description
One of the challenges facing the contemporary artist is how to negotiate a balance between an outward facing engagement with the wider world and an inward looking focus on a private inner realm, it's exactly this tension that gives such energy and depth to in the shade, the stunning second album from Finnish singer/composer Selma Savolainen. Selma's powerful voice and her adventurous musicality are the driving forces behind a mesmerising set of songs that are rooted in contemporary jazz but use a sound-world that ranges far beyond, bringing in influences from the adventurous edges of post-rock and beyond.
Selma Savolainen's lyrics explore powerful themes of identity, belonging and personal agency, with her clear-toned, expressive voice leading the way, ranging from intimate whisper to searing emotional outpouring. Each song is brought vividly to life by the extraordinary creativity of her band. Trumpeter Tomi Nikku and multi-reed specialist Max Zenger provide textural backing and melodic improvisation: Toomas Keski-Santti deploys a range of different keyboards to expand the vocabulary: the bass and drum team of Eero Tikkanen and Okko Saastamoinen expertly control the dynamics. The sense of fellowship between the players - all long-time friends as well as bandmates - adds a feeling of playful spontaneity that lightens the mood even in the music's darkest moments.
Each song deals with a very different situation, yet themes of identity and belonging thread through them all. in the shade is the work of an artist fearlessly moving forward, developing her own unique voice, unafraid to tackle serious themes and creating adventurous, ambitious musical settings in which to explore them. At the same time, the deep friendship and trust between all the players comes across in the audible excitement and playfulness of the performances, creating an interplay of light and shade that captures the attention at every moment.
in the shade is available on 180g black vinyl with printed inner sleeve and digipak CD editions.
