Thomas Dybdahl - Songs
In his native Norway, Thomas Dybdahl is an award-winning, platinum-selling performing songwriter who has released five critically praised albums in Europe over the past decade. Having recently given his music a proper introduction in the U.K., Dybdahl finally gets a long overdue U.S. relaunch June 7 July 12 with the release of Songs (Decca), a fourteen track collection that compiles highlights from his earlier works. All we can say is it's about time. While Dybdahl can easily slip into the modern neo-folk style of his acoustic-toting contemporaries, there's an adventurous eclectic spirit also at work, particularly in his recent album Waiting for That One Clear Moment dropping stateside later this year.
Of his own music, Dybdahl understands the need for tension, to balance light and dark, the comfortable with the challenging -- what he describes as "those aesthetic choices of taking something beautiful and making it sound not so beautiful." Even on songs as lithe and supple as "From Grace" and "Cecilia" there are elements of a distinctive minor chord undercurrent beneath the serene surface, Dybdahl's breathy vocals, from whisper to flitting falsetto, never keeping the cool emotional door too wide open. We like the way the playfulness of a song like "B A Part" never seems calculated or wistful for its own sake, just a sweet melody with subtle shadows hidden just out of direct view.
Thomas Dybdahl - "Cecilia" (from the album Songs)
Thomas Dybdahl - "B A Part" (from the album Songs)
Direct Current
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