Hvel

10 friends 100 albums: album 11 (J. Seleznev)

Mr. Seleznev has a unique taste in music, so when I asked him for his recommendations seeing an Icelandic artist in the mix was no surprise. What was even more intriguing was the album in question.

Hvel is a folk-inspired rock album with progressive elements, not unlike work that Steven Wilson has done in the past. The overall mood of the record is very subdued and skeletal, with lots of downtuned and cavernous acoustic guitars creating the structure for the music. The music is partly sung in Icelandic, and English. With the lyrics mainly detailing sorrowful tales of regret and old relationships. They come across very poetic and melodic, while the vocals are sung in a low-key fashion.

The album has a nice and methodical approach to it's flow. Occasionally rising and swelling with grand ochestral movements or heavy rock passages every so often ( one track even had some synth passages), to once again fall to more easy-going or brooding slower cuts. There's an instrumental movement partway through that serves as a nice bookmark to the latter half of the album.

I really enjoyed the overall listening experience to this one. The music was nice and thoughtful, and surprisingly diverse at times. While only 44 minutes long, it does feel like you're taking your time as you listen, and despite some of the sullen moods I found it to be quite relaxing and therapeutic while it's on. My only complaint is that it seems to end rather suddenly and without much fanfare, thus feeling incomplete in ways. Even still, if this kind of thing interests you I would definitely give it a try.

"For a while she can rest in peace, tired face under a beautiful veil of oblivion~"