Authentic and contemporary americana and bluegrass from talented Scandinavian quartet.
For lovers of bluegrass and americana roots music unable or unwilling to visit the USA at present, a short flight to Norway provides a very serious alternative as a source of inspiration. Surprising as it may seem, there is a thriving scene, the annual Strenger I Gress festival bringing together many of the bluegrass bands that have sprung up in recent years. Names like Strengeplukk, Oystein Sunde and the Hayde Bluegrass Orchestra have been around a while, developing their own form of what might be termed ‘Scandigrass’.
Well-known to UK audiences, the North Carolina bluegrass quartet Chatham County Line have been frequent visitors to Norway for around twenty years and their impeccable harmonies and mastery of their instruments will no doubt have inspired many young Norwegians to take up the banjo, fiddle or upright bass. Guitarists have also been drawn in from jazz and other forms as the search for new and interesting musical forms has grown.
Another regular visitor to Norway is virtuoso mandolin player Chris Thile of Nickel Creek and the Punch Brothers and it was a chance encounter at one of his shows that led to the three members of Open String Department augmenting their sound with what they describe as the “otherworldly vocals” of Siril Malmedal Hauge. Originally put together by banjo playing multi-instrumentalist Magnus Wiik back in 2012, the trio had long admired Hauge’s singing and flute playing and with her acceptance of their invitation to join, the quartet set to work on their fourth album, “We Can Be Anyone”.
With Hauge making her presence felt throughout, including on her own composition ‘No TV’, the band have even jokingly suggested they go back and re-record all three of their earlier collections. Though not a traditional bluegrass instrument, Hauge’s flute makes a valuable contribution to the feel of the album, which can justifiably be described as ethereal. Eight of the tracks were penned by Wiik with a further contribution from the influential American singer-songwriter Elliot Smith, who died tragically young.
There’s a real sense of ensemble-playing among the four musicians, the remaining two being Espen Bjarnar on guitars and Aksel Jensen on bass. Often featuring polyrhythmic time-scales, one track is instrumental but on the other nine, the lyrics are delivered in English, backing vocals supplied by Wiik and Bjarnar. The subject-matter draws from everyday observation and has a neatly abstract quality, allowing the vocal interpretation to invest the songs with a contemporary but timeless feel. Recorded at Newtone Studios in Oslo, which was built by bassist Jensen among others, and produced by Leif Johansen, photos show the band playing in one room and capturing the live quality of the album. It is to be hoped that British and Irish audiences will get the chance to see and hear Open String Department for themselves but in the meantime, just hop on a flight to Norway and enjoy some great americana music.
