Highasakite "Camp Echo" (2016)

Camp Echo
release date: May 16, 2016
format: cd
[album rate: 3 / 5] [3,12]
producer: Kåre Chr. Vestrheim
label: Propeller Recordings - nationality: Norway

Track highlights: 1. "My Name Is Liar" - 4. "My Mind Is a Bad Neighborhood" - 7. "Golden Ticket" - 8. "Deep Sea Diver"

3rd studio album by Norwegian quintet Highasakite following the successful 2004 album Silent Treatment.
Musically, the indie pop and synth pop band has made a further step into electropop on this, and the album was like the predecessor met by positive reviews from the Norwegian press - where the national radio channel, NRK P3 handed the album 6 out of 6 stars. The album also became the band's second consecutive release to sit safely on #1 on the national album charts.
Camp Echo is nicely produced and with much focus on harmonies and a tight electropop sound. I only wish they would dare incorporate a bit more aggressiveness and originality, 'cause it does tend to sound a wee bit anonymously and dare I say: a taste of Eurovision song contest, which I didn't hear on the predecessor, and which, imho, makes this a bit redundant.

Highasakite "Silent Treatment" (2014)

Silent Treatment
release date: Feb. 3, 2014
format: digital
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,52]
producer: Kåre Christoffer Vestrheim
label: Propeller Recordings - nationality: Norway

Track highlights: 1. "Lover Where Do You Live?" - 2. "Since Last Wednesday" - 3. "Leaving No Traces" - 5. "My Only Crime" - 6. "I, the Hand Grenade" - 9. "The Man on the Ferry"

2nd studio album by Norwegian indie pop and indietronica band Highasakite.
After the debut All That Floats Will Rain (2012), where the original duo of lead vocalist Ingrid Helene Håvik and drummer and percussionist Trond Bersu had been expanded to a trio with keyboardist Øystein Skar has now been expanded with another two band members: Marte Eberson, who like Skar, is credited for playing synthesizers and Kristoffer Lo on guitar, dulcimer and bass.
The album was met by national acclaim, the band was awarded "Pop Group of the Year Award" at the Norwegian Spellemannprisen (equivalent of the Grammy Award) and Håvik was awarded the prize as "Composer of the Year", and the album spent more than 100 weeks as #1 on the albums chart list. So, Highasakite, really was the biggest act in Norway in 2016.
With its dreamy harmonies and ethereal lightness, Silent Treatment is a nice colourful experience, which reminds me somewhat of other Scandinavian acts like Anna Ternheim meets Oh Land meets Lykke Li with bits of Veronica Maggio. Not at all a bad combo, though, the shelf is mighty crowded.