As a capper to the end of the year, Myrkur gets set to hit the road for some Scandinavian tour dates. As this is a good time of year to have some new merch with you, she has chosen to release a new EP, Juniper (Relapse). Through constant change and challenging of herself, she reveals more and more about the artist inside.
The song ‘Juniper’ is as close a power ballad as Myrkur will ever get. Loud/soft dynamics between the verses and the chorus give a nice shade to the song. It simmers, but never quite boils over emotionally, just teases with restraint. With a light touch vocally, she glides over the tracks, mostly just a string arrangement, guitars, and a cautious drum part. A well-timed swell of guitars definitely add gravitas, echoed by the pensive lyrics.
‘Bonden & Kragen’ is the second of the two tracks and much more memorable of the two. A retelling of a 1600s Danish folk song, Myrkur’s voice cuts through the track which slowly builds around her. Picked acoustic guitars and slight bowing of strings is all that’s needed to pull you into the world of this song. Both tracks clicked with me, but this is the one that gets better and better with each listen.
This is a nice little bookend to that latest arc in one of the more interesting artists today. Theses tracks will likely be factor in Myrkurs “Folkesang” performances in 2019, including a special appearance at Roadburn.
KEITH CHACHKES