release date: Dec. 21, 2005
format: digital
[album rate: 3 / 5] [2,92]
producer: diverse
label: DetErMine Records / V2 - nationality: Norway
3rd studio album by Ane Brun released just ten months after her fine A Temporary Dive (Feb. 2005) is not a new collection of songs written and composed by Brun, but according to herself, it's a series of songs made in collaboration with various artists that she admires. The majority of these ten songs are written and composed by the participating artists, and Brun is as such the actual 'featuring artist' on seven cuts, and with herself listed as main artist with another artist on three songs, and has herself written and composed only two songs. The same pattern applies to producer credits where the participating artists alone or sometimes with Ane Brun are credited this role.
All of this is evident here when listening to this highly varied album. The songs are not significantly tied together, thus solely stemming from Brun's fascination for the individual artist, and this is where it (unfortunately) becomes very much on the terms of the participating artists. It simply works the best when Brun is both composer, main artist and co-producer, for example on "Rubber & Soul" from her most recent album, but here with Teitur as contributing vocalist. The same applies (somewhat) to "Song No. 6" with Ron Sexsmith, which is, however, a completely identical recording of the version from the album.
This is probably not where you would want to start if you're not familiar with the music by Ane Brun. Duets probably works fine from a completely personal point of view, but if the desire is to listen to a coherent album that should convince you of Brun's great skills as a songwriter, composer, instrumentalist, and vocalist, you'd better look elsewhere.
Not recommended.
