Ane Brun "It All Starts with One" 2011****

Another Norwegian act (after Ulver) and one that could hardly be more different. Ane Brun comes originally from Molde, a city I first heard of when Olympiakos played the local team for the Champions League some 15 years ago - and never again since. She (Ane, not Molde FK) traveled extensively around Europe and in 2002 embarked on a singing career. Brun's biggest asset is her beautiful, expressive and delicate voice which, in combination with her art-rock sensibilities, has led to frequent comparisons with Kate Bush. She soon became famous in Scandinavia, winning many awards including one for her collaboration with (my favorite Norwegian group) Madrugada. International success nevertheless eluded her until Peter Gabriel asked her to contribute vocals in his album "New Blood" and join the subsequent world tour. "It All Starts with One" is the album that followed that world wide exposure and was immediately successful, occupying the top of the charts in both Sweden (her adopted homeland) and Norway and gaining great reviews everywhere. Right from the start (opener "These Days") I was amazed with how well arranged the album was, with a variety of musicians perfectly complementing Ane's vocals without ever shifting the focus from the voice to the instruments. Everyone's playing is subtle and restrained, especially the drums that so often tend to overshadow everything else: usually when they want to make a slow and intimate ballad they remove the drums altogether but here they place them in the background in a way that adds to the mood while barely getting noticed. "Words" adds strings to the mix and "Worship", a duet with José González, complets the opening trio of wonderful ballads. Lead single "Do You Remember" is something different altogether, a rhythmic track with the drums on the forefront (although never too loud). The combination of tribal drums and backing vocals from young Swedish duo First Aid Kit give the song a distinctive African feel. It seems someone has been spending time with Peter "mr.World Music" Gabriel! "What's Happening with You and Him" is another ballad with piano and soaring strings and "One" an upbeat theatrical song with flamenco-style castanets. Of the remaining 3 ballads, "The Light from One" is the most dramatic while "Oh Love" is jazz-folk a la Joni Mitchell. The "deluxe edition" contains a second cd with 8 extra tracks. Of these, "Dirty Windshield" is a stark affair with piano, "Take it Slow" contains some nice violin and "Queen and King" a live country number. "One Last Try" steals the show with its vivid piano and high pitched vocals, and finally the second disc ends with two cover songs, Anthony Hegarty's dramatic "Another World" and Mercedes Sosa's "Alfonsina y el Mar" whose Spanish lyrics she handles with ease.

**** for These Days, Worship, Do You Remember, One, One Last Try

*** for Words, What's Happening with You and Him, Lifeline, The Light from One, Oh Love, Take It Slow, Another World, Alfonsina y el Mar 

** for Undertow, Dirty Windshield, Queen and King, Du Gråter Så Store Tåra (English Version), I Would Hurt a Fly