'Bjørn Riis' is the founder of the Norwegian band 'Airbag' and he also has a solo career with several albums, the latest 'A Storm is Coming' being released in 2019. He released a new album 'Everything to Everyone' and for the occasion he surrounded himself with artists from different progressive rock bands, drummer 'Henrik Bergan Fossum' from Airbag', bassist 'Kristian Hultgren' from 'Wobler', keyboardist 'Simen Valldal Johannessenn' from 'Oak' and the singer Norwegian 'Mimmi Tamba'. If you like the formations mentioned in the preamble, you are in the right place because the whole of this latest baby from the Norwegian flirts with a melodic and atmospheric 'Floydian' progressive rock that we taste to relax after a good day's work.
And yet, the introduction of 'Run', energetic with saturated guitar riffs, is not strictly speaking 'Floydian' but, after a little more than a minute, it gives way to a semi-acoustic instrumental which unfolds a soothing first melody with a finale which returns to the tormented climate of the start. Follows the long development 'Lay Me Down' which takes us delicately by the hand starting with a first part sung by 'Bjørn Riis' of a great emotional intensity and which is sprinkled, here and there, by a very beautiful vocal accompaniment of 'Mimmi Tamba', then, the title takes off in a melancholy climate with remarkable 'Gilmourian' guitar solos interspersed with more intense sections, these alternations between strong and weak moment bringing this formidable emotional force. With 'The Siren', the atmosphere is comparable to what 'Roger Waters' knows how to convey as emotion in his compositions and, on this title 'Bjørn Riis' has nothing to envy to the American, even more that the construction in slight crescendo which falls on the end adds still more to this quiet force released. Make way for the second long development 'Every Second Every Hour' and it's another magnificent composition that gently envelops us and develops a new contemplative melody embellished by Bjørn's vocal performance and guitar solos, the picking accompaniments bringing us back to the atmosphere of 'Us And Them' of the 'Floyds'. Follows 'Descending', an instrumental piece which marries in a very beautiful way hovering layers of keyboards with a few chords of acoustic guitar and which suddenly gains momentum in the second half of the title with the arrival of percussion and electric guitar bringing us back to the psychedelic period of 'Pink Floyd' and which falls deliciously on the finale. And, it's with the eponymous title (see the video here) that the album ends in a very beautiful way with a moving melody, on which the vocal duo 'Bjørn Riis'/'Mimmi Tamba' enchants us once again, and which offers a magnificent crescendo with a last magical 'Gilmourian' guitar solo.
In summary, 'Bjørn Riis', accompanied by talented artists, once again gives us an excellent progressive rock album in the wake of 'Pink Floyd' which can be enjoyed quietly with headphones on with a great pleasure... | |
