“Hold On”
from the album The Tourniquet
2005
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Norway’s Even Johansen is Magnet and his music is stunning. That being said, when you listen to The Tourniquet you feel drawn to his musical magnetism (excuse the obvious pun please) whether due to his tremendous vocals that are as rangy as a Coldplay and Keane or because of the magnificent multi-layered soundscapes that he drapes about each song. There’s simple guitar that’s plucked with earnest Americana luster but Even surrounds each track by plotting out coordinates made of light synth sweeps, electronic rhythms that at times are so seemingly simple they almost sound like click tracks, and weird bleeps and beeps that are part Bjork and part Sigur Ros. Lyrically he never strays into some cunning pathway of cliché and certainly never tries to be too cerebral. And it’s because of the latter that fans of Joseph Arthur will crawl on hands and knees to him but he will also crow to the followers of Bright Eyes and Damien Rice. There’s some mainstream elements here because of how catchy his songs can be, but there’s an undeniable effort to keep it artsy and breathtakingly original. What you have here, folks, is one hell of an album.