By: Anders

Posted: Aug 4, 2006

The atmospheric progressive Norwegian act White Willow has now returned with their fifth studio album "Signal To Noise". Since the last album, the masterpiece "Storm Signal" has the band gotten a new singer in Trude Eitang, who has to lift the legacy from the phenomenal Sylvia Erichsen. The band itself has stated that the new album is a turn towards a more modern direction and sound, a thing I at first found strange, though when the listening began it seemed the change wasn't that big.

The modern sound is based upon a heavier and more complete production. The band has been down to Denmark and recorded the album together with Tommy Hansen, who also has produced the music. That has resulted in a full and complete sound, with a very heavy bottom, that pushes the music well. Musically White Willow is still offering bits and pieces, tied together by brilliant composed songs and great progressive elements. The band still composes brilliant tunes, that drags one in and are really enchanting, using few, but very effective means. The musicianship is also of a really high standard, there are really some brilliant details here and there, both within the range of the guitars, the bass and the keyboards.

The new vocalist Trude does a pretty good job as well, I don't find her voice as spellbinding and amazing as the prior vocalist, though still a very good performance. Her voice is full of power, and quite passionate, and still has that fragile touch, that suits the melancholic touches in White Willow's music.

This album is somewhat more alive than the last one "Storm Season", and much more driven forward by powerful music, and not as much by the atmospheres alone, as it earlier has been the case, though that doesn't mean the atmospheric part of the music has been left out, not at all. On top of the typical dark atmospheres, we get some eerie and wicked, almost haunting elements once in a while, and there are also left traces of folk elements, though not that many. I don't feel this album is as strong as "Storm Season", not from an atmospheric and progressive point of view at least, it is more direct and almost gothic rock alike once in a while. Though it still possesses all the elements that made me like White Willow with their last album, and the album in its whole is really strong, just not as strong as "Storm Season".

Rating: 8/10

White Willow website

Review of "Storm Season"

Distributed in Denmark by Target and kindly supplied by Intromental

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