Rebekka Karijord - We Become Ourselves

  by Lisa Torem

published: 31 / 10 / 2012

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Review

In eight days Rebekka Karijord recorded 'We Become Ourselves'. a ten-track album of melodic treasures. The singer-songwriter, a Norwegian native, is based in Stockholm. She began her career scoring films for several decades before releasing 'The Noble Art of Letting Go'. Tours to support that album followed throughout Europe and Scandinavia. Her video, ‘Paperboy,’ which features simple, stick figures with a curious mission, speaks volumes about her minimalist approach to making music – there is nothing extraneous about her work; just lovely, solid musicianship. On her current album, 'We Become Ourselves', she begins with ‘Prayer.’ On it she sings against thundering claps, with a voice as clear as creek water, but as forceful as a seawall. An intriguing vocal chant segues into a poignant a capella soliloquy. ‘Use My Body’ contains frenetic rhythms, which thrash as her voice rises powerfully. Her clever church organ solo continues into the next verse, but even the maddening choir and escalating counter rhythms don’t distract from her tour de force. Karijord’s more cerebral side becomes apparent in the title track, ‘We Become Ourselves,’ an engaging, angelic ballad with a mystical, contrapuntal harp (courtesy of Karijord!) in the background. The call and response between this vocalist and the chorus is chillingly lovely. Complete with men’s choir and underscored by languid piano, ‘Oh Brother’ shows off Karijord’s precision and passion: “If I ever have a son I’ll teach him it’s okay to cry/And try to see the world with each other’s eyes.” Her voice soars like an echo in a wind tunnel when she sings the touching, intense ‘Your Love’. Karijord’s wild edge is at full force during the repetitive outro here, and as a special bonus sweet strains of string add an uplifting texture. “I don’t want to sing/I’d rather be the song/I don’t want to speak/I’d rather be the words,” she utters on ‘Multicolored Hummingbird.’ Her seemingly effortless trips up the scale add an element of levity. ‘Save Yourself’ is another example of her psalm-like tenderness. On ‘You Make Me Real’ we hear gorgeous harmonies melded with a sense of urgency: “Tonight is all we have to hold…” A lovely cello chimes in by Linnea Olsson. The lyrics are direct and pulsating: “When shadows highlight hits my lungs and so the darkness move up front/I know not what you are to see…” These forces combine to make this one of her most haunting epilogues. On ‘Ode To What Was Lost,’ her soulful piano detonates a dark and sombre spell. ‘Bandages’ is a magnificent closer; mysterious and achingly pure with its stark message: “Don’t Walk Away.’ Rebekka Karijord is an enchanting songstress, an unparalleled performer and a gifted writer. She’s the whole package.

Track Listing:-

1 Prayer
2 Use My Body While It's Still Young
3 We Become Ourselves
4 Oh Brother
5 Your Love
6 Multicolored Hummingbird
7 Save Yourself
8 You Make Me Real
9 Ode To What Was Lost
10 Bandages
11 Giant
12 Given Time
13 Mine to Keep
14 On Our Way
15 Silence Is A Drum
16 You Make Me Real (Bobacken Version)
17 Cry Me A River
18 Prayer (Demo)
19 Use My Body While It's Still Young (Demo)
20 Save Yourself (Demo)
21 Multicolored Hummingbird (Demo)
22 Bandages (Demo)

Band Links:-

https://www.facebook.com/RebekkaKarijo
http://rebekkakarijord.com/
https://twitter.com/rebekkakarijord
https://instagram.com/rebekkakarijord

Label Links:-

http://cfkrecords.com/
https://twitter.com/CFKRECORDS