Monday, June 11, 2007

Loving The Alien



Ane Brun's bio states that the gifted singer/songwriter was allegedly born in Norway, but I don't believe it. Ane came from someplace else.

Ane's voice is eerie, haunting, and unearthly. It's an alien instrument that chills you, enraptures you, and compels you to pay attention. The late Sandy Denny owned this type of voice, as did Nick Drake and Tim Buckley. Early in their careers, Sinead O'Connor and Joni Mitchell did. So does jazz vocalist Jimmy Scott, Björk, Patti Smith, and Diamanda Galás.

On Ane's wonderful CD A Temporary Dive, my favorite song is "Laid In Earth", an ominous yet beautiful elegy of loss and heartbreak. It achieves the tragic majesty of Sinead O'Connor's "I Am Stretched On Your Grave" or the great Judy Collins song "Pretty Polly". Yes, it's scary, but in a good way.

Ane Brun is a journey worth taking. Welcome aboard.



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