Ring (NOR) Popsongs From the Place Where the Woods Turn To Love (Krank Diskoz-2001) For those of you that just can't get enough of Ring, the moniker of the formidable and incredibly prolific songwriter Filip Andersen,here is the news you've been waiting for. Still hot off the presses,we're happy to announce the arrival of Ring's fourth full-length effort,"Popsongs From the Place Where the Woods Turn To Love." Andersen hascrafted a more consistent record than ever before, comprised ofmelancholic ballads fusing folk, country and tape-tricks with a healthydose of Barrett/Spence-esque oddball genius. Timelessly despairing banjoand guitar-driven ballads are draped in curtains of sampled loops andhomemade electronics and it all works amazingly well. The opening triadof songs sets the tone right away with a genuine but vaguely psychedelickind of beauty. Things get even more exciting in the following "Is ThereAny Small Pop Songs For Me?" and "Madness Is Something I Can't Explain"which epitomize everything Ring's bedroom folk musings are about. Simplemelodies are embellished with a suggestive kind of brilliance, implyingit's almost easy, making this a difficult record to explain andpigeonhole. The climax of this latest set is "A Song for Love" where thevocal juxtaposition between Filip and his wife Rosalinn reaches holyheights. Rosalinn's mournful and beautiful voice is so soft and fragilethat it feels like it might transform into a distant oceanic motif andslowly fade away at any minute, uniting with the horizon. None of therest is able to top this, even though the political "The Dead Dream ofWorkingman Heroes" comes close with its dark undercurrent thatstrangely brings me a pleasant feeling of comfort and nostalgia."Popsongs From the Place Where the Woods Turn To Love" is a new stunningtour-de-force from this Norwegian songsmith. No, it's not an order. Butyou have been advised. Author: Mats Gustafsson The Broken Face Issue #10

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