Tom Roger Aadland, the folk singer from Haugesund that many will remember best for his great Dylan interpretations on the release Blod på spora in 2009, is back with a collection of beautiful melodies and brilliant lyrics on his fifth solo album, Rapport frå eit grensehotell.
The album, which opens with a slow and heavy title track consisting of six minutes black as ink, bears the mark of a brave artist in progress, and it’s immediately evident that Aadland’s abilities as a songwriter have grown to something extraordinary. With the longing in his voice and eminent guitar playing he stands rock solid in his music, and together with his skilled fellow musicians he colours the melancholic tone of the release with necessary flashes of light and optimistic zest. The dancing melody of Songen av jorda and the catchy chorus of Like til mi dør have qualities that may bring his music out to a larger audience, and the timeless and consequent sound shows that Aadland benefits from the collaboration with experienced producer Lars Voldsdal.
On Haust and Vel av garde we meet a far more subdued and naked mood, and it is here Aadland shines as a songwriter and performer. The thoughts go to higly-gifted Americans like Tom Waits and Johnny Cash, and you get the time to enjoy the nuances of the music before you are taken away to the manic, great Har du hatt den kjensla and the personal Oppløyst og medtatt. In spite of a series of highlights, not everything that shines is gold on this release either, and particularly the repetitive Alle one could do without. But on Farsfolket, which is the last track of the album, Aadland presents one of the finest songs he has ever written, and a hopeful tune is painted out, which both he and the band can carry proudly for a long time. The song becomes a great finale and concludes in a good way the positive impression one has gathered as a listener.
On Rapport frå eit grensehotell it is clear that we meet a fascinating songwriter of the good, old kind, where the release’s strong songs and consequent production are dominant factors. Aadland’s rueful and longing of life marks a high point in his career, and this is no doubt Norwegian melancholy of the highest class.
Kåre Indrehu, Musikknyheter, 19 March 2015