Aadland isn’t called a rock poet for no reason. Surely there was a string of Norwegian Dylan renditions which put the westerner on the map for real, but it is mostly his own catalogue of songs which defends the use of the cliché-ridden tag.
More than before, it is exactly the combination of rock’s direct language and poetry’s diffuse appearance which is his greatest strength. This is shown in the span between the catchy melodies and the open lyrics.
But also in the arrangements and production, which makes this sound simple and sophisticated at the same time. In addition, Aadland is one notch darker than previously, especially sound-wise, which gives the songs more of a sting. The man’s pop sense still shines clearly through, especially in tracks such as “Like Til Mi Dør” and “Hud Mot Hud”, even though the ambiguity is lurking in the background even here.
And like another great rock poet, American Lucinda Williams, Aadland masters the balance between the concrete and the abstract, with the journey between these extremities a destination in itself.
Per Chr. Rolin, Trønderavisa 5/6