Hanne Hukkelberg

Blood From a Stone (Nettwerk)

By Jonathan Shipley
Published: June 1st, 2009 | 7:00am

Three hundred kilometers north of the Polar Circle, in a tiny coastal village on the Norwegian island of Senja, Hanne Hukkelberg lived. For seven months, the Norwegian Grammy Award–winner wrote songs. These songs, soundscapes of traditional and some very unusual instrumentation, are comprised on her third album, Blood From a Stone. They sound and feel otherworldly but, upon repeated listens, are completely grounded in the landscape she composed them in. The new album will undoubtedly ensure she’s ensconced in the ever-burgeoning “freak folk” scene, along with major players like Joanna Newsom and Devendra Banhart.

Recorded in Oslo, Blood From a Stone is unusual in several ways. First, the bulk of her vocals (straightforward and personal) were first takes. Second, she continues her usage of field recordings (this time around flagpoles, seagulls, stoves, and more); something she’s been known for on her previous albums, like Little Things (Leaf, 2005) and Rykestraße 68 (Nettwerk, 2007). Third, all the instruments were tuned by ear; digital tuners were banned in the studio.

And the result? An ethereal soundtrack to everyday life: strong and assured, yet with cracks and creases within the songs themselves that render them grounded and more “real” than the digitally enhanced albums being churned out right and left by record labels. The album sounds like musicians actually playing, not like musicians playing a vacuum of gadgets and digital whiz.

Inspired by the likes of Sonic Youth, PJ Harvey, the Pixies, and others, Hukkelberg’s songs have a certain subtle grandeur. “Salt Of the Earth” starts soft and smooth, just a voice and soft organ, before clattering into a sonic, slow-marching dirge. “No Mascara Tears” is reminiscent of those ‘80s indie rock albums she listened to and was inspired by in her youth. The lyrics are direct. The music David Lynchian. “Bandy Riddles” is a speedy little number with flashes of a percussionist who doesn’t even have access to a drum kit. It’s this song that is the most radio-friendly, with its riffs and hooks.

Perhaps it’s with the radio that you will hear more of the Norwegian chanteuse because, though she’s not breaking any ground in the musical sense, she’s comfortable in front of a mic — as comfortable as being 300 kilometers north of the Polar Circle.

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