White Willow | Terminal Twilight
by Joe Mis
Staff Writer —
Norway’s White Willow has recently released their sixth album -a progressive/folk rock effort entitled Terminal Twilight. If you are looking for something light, airy, and a bit different – this may be the album for you.
White Willow released their first album back in 1995, helping to revitalize the progressive rock genre in Scandinavia. After 4 more albums and a brief hiatus, White Willow is back. Terminal Twilight is full of acoustic instrumentation, lush atmospheric music, pastoral passages and haunting vocals while delivering a light and pleasant overall sound despite many Gothic overtones. This is not an album that emphasizes keyboards or guitars or vocals, but rather a release that blends everything equally and does not allow any one aspect of the music to dominate the other. The band blends progressive rock with some Gothic influences, a touch of symphonic rock and a lot of folk rock to come up with their unique style. The use of the flute and keyboards, coupled with a strong sense of melody and technically excellent performances make Terminal Twilight a fascinating listen.
The songs are long, winding and somewhat melancholy adventures with solid lyrics filled with vivid metaphors and lush images. There is nothing unduly heavy in any of the tracks, but a strong sense of melody is ever-present. Elements and influences from almost every musical genre can be heard somewhere on the album, and the blending of styles and instruments makes this CD a unique experience. Nicely recorded, White Willow’s music is mysterious and ethereal, and the vocals of Sylvia Skjellestad are well suited to the music and delivered with grace and conviction. With simple arrangements on some tracks and complex layers on others, the listener is kept interested and alert by the varied tempos and time signatures. Each performer on the album does their job well, all contributing to a complete and unified whole. The only negative is the lack of a real high energy track – the entire tone of the album is slow and melancholy, but it would be nice to hear the band really cut loose.
Musical highlights include the rich imagery, layered keyboards and odd timing on “Hawks Circle the Mountain;” the beautifully done acoustic guitars and nice duet vocals on “Kansas Regrets;” the tidy keyboards and great bass/drum teamwork on “Red Leaves;” the soft rock beat, great bass and guitars, and wistful vocals on “Floor 67” – probably the most conventional “prog” song of the album; the entire amazing instrumental “Natasha of the Burning Woods;” and the fluid ebb and flow of the epic 13 minute “Searise.”
If you are into progressive or folk rock, you may enjoy White Willow’s work. Terminal Twilight is an interesting album filled with fine musicality, natural warmth and great performances. The folk rock nature of the release will not appeal to everyone, so if you are looking for heavy or dark, look elsewhere. If you want something a little different and on the softer side, Terminal Twilight might just be the thing. Be prepared to invest your time, as you need multiple listens to grasp the many layers of White Willow’s music. Recommended for fans of the folk rock / art rock genres.
Genre: Progressive Rock
Band:
Sylvia Skjellestad (vocals)
Lars Fredrik Frøislie (keyboards)
Ketil Einarsen (flutes)
Jacob Holm-Lupo (guitars)
Ellen Andrea Wang (bass)
Mattias Olsson (drums)
Guest performer – Tim Bowness (vocals on “Kansas Regrets”)
Track Listing:
1. Hawks Circle the Mountain
2. Snowswept
3. Kansas Regrets
4. Red Leaves
5. Floor 67
6. Natasha of the Burning Woods
7. Searise
8. A Rumour of Twilight
9. The Howling Wind (North American Bonus Track)
Label: The Laser’s Edge Music
Website: http://www.whitewillow.info/
Hardrock Haven rating: 8/10