aaamusic | On 13, Nov 2012

Ever heard of a Spellemannprisen? Me neither. Which is a real shame, I realised, upon listening to Sivert Hoyem’s new EP, as it turns out that the Norwegian equivalent of a Grammy award is a very accurate indication of good music. Hoyem has won a number of these through various musical outfits and efforts, and his new EP carries the same level of aural quality that looks like it could hopefully lead him to similar success in the future.
Composed of 4 tracks, the collection seems a prime window through which to access Hoyem’s work. The first track ‘Autumn in Arcadia’ blooms into life immediately with inventive hi-hat echoes and upbeat, bell-like arpeggios, rising and falling like a cotton candy dream. And the man himself is of course the centrepiece of the track; Hoyem’s deep, velvety vocals prove throughout the collection to be a fountain erupting at the core of each delicate arrangement. Laid on thickly across the sparse acoustics, the vocals echo the styles and tone of Leonard Cohen and Roy Orbison, creating worthy successions of their work, with gently searing guitar burns in and out of the track, complimenting Hoyem’s voice nicely.
‘I was a Rolling Stone’ seems, to me, to build upon the previous work and then some. The strength of the EP is greatly derived from the elegant duet of Hoyem’s vocals and the singing, Gilmour-esque lead guitar work. And nowhere else across the 4 tracks is it stronger than it is here. It is a subtly sprawling piece, settling down into beautifully earthy acoustic guitar rhythms, while the brilliant lead phrases return fire on sweet occasion. The track even moves through the slight, phasing ripples of synthetic digital crackles to build and build upon itself, blankets of harmonious vocals surging from transient to overpowering, to reach a crescendo in the dreamy burn of a guitar solo. Perhaps, compositionally speaking, this is the strongest track to be found here.
The title track ‘Where is my Moon Tonight?’ is an exercise in the beauty of familiarity. From its humble, sombre chord arrangement, to the longing and coalescent lyrics, it seems hard not to get drawn into its gentle sway. The ethereal slides and echoing barbs of lead guitar provide a slight surge to proceedings, but in its undeniable beauty, it does seem rather derivative at times. This is of course no bad thing, as it delivers what it promises, being a strong and emotional effort within its own sphere, but there is not much in the way of new ground to be found here.
And finally ‘So-lo’ comes down to a very simplistic, stripped back format; just one man and his guitar, the sound reverberating upon itself in velvety layers. The sparse nature of the composition is belies a ghostly power, as rumbling layers roll upon Hoyem’s lyrics as the song progresses, causing great effusions to rise from the track’s deceivingly weak base. Sharp fingerpicked guitar, growling lead and tear jerking piano synthesize the final touches on a strong and humble track – a track that is all the more moving when you are aware it was recorded in one take.
Sivert Hoyem stands to me as a sad indictment on the myopia of the industry, as it tends to omit those acts from a wider spectrum of nations, instead disproportionately favouring those from America and Britain, alongside a few token European figures. Hoyem proves that this is a vastly disappointing attitude to take – his work is strong and solid, and he is as deserving of your notice and praise as any other act within his field. You can’t argue with it – the man is very good at what he does. Perhaps you won’t find anything new here, but as far as artistic effort is concerned, his musical character is undeniable. I think the press release says it nicely: ‘when it comes to beautiful balladry, Scandinavia does it better than anyone’.

★★★★★

Matthew Fellows