Best of Norway

Hi again. Christmas is nearing, I'm in the US, and similarly to what I did in the lead-up to last year's top 10 I want to start this year's calendar by mentioning some overseen albums from the year before. Coincidentially (not entirely), all the albums I'm going to mention are by Norwegian artists. You see, it felt a bit weird not having any Norwegian albums on last year's list. All the previous years I've had at least some Norwegian representation. Not only is it nice to promote my home country, I also often feel that songs written close to home resonate extra strongly with me. Although some of them may have less of an impact internationally, either because the listeners don't understand the language or the themes don't seem as immediately captivating, there's loads of great music being made in Norway,  and it's certainly worth sharing. So here's my top 5 Norwegian albums of 2016.

Beautiful cover. With all 12 stories in it, I think?

5. Moddi - Unsongs

I've classified him as an artsy folk-singer for too long, maybe. Pål Moddi Knutsen, from the island of Senja in northern Norway, has made an exciting leap from his pretty pop albums that I never listened much to with the release of Unsongs this year. Unsongs is a collection of covers or reworks of banned songs from different countries around the world, from Pussy Riot to Palestine, some well known and some on the verge of being lost. As a concept it's a strong statement against censorship and for freedom of speech. At the level of the individual songs it tells some important stories about unjustness and war from many of the world's forgotten tragedies. The richly orchestrated music is often dramatic, riveting and eager to colour its stories, not unlike a good Sufjan Stevens piece. Not all the songs pack quite the punch that they should have, but applause to Moddi for this bold and interesting move.

Put on: "A matter of habit"

Kind of standard metal-ish? I wouldn't have picked it up
on the basis of the cover, to put it that way.

4. Kvelertak - Nattesferd

Kvelertak make metal so much fun. Nattesferd ("Night journey") is their third album and possibly their most fun yet. Combining the heavy rock 80's gods like Van Halen and Judas Priest with the best from the 90's and 00's Norse black metal scene, the Stavanger band have become a critical and commercial success far beyond Norway's borders. The music is super high energy, full of fantastic riffs, catchy when it needs to be, angry when it needs to be. I haven't seen them live yet but I really hope I get the chance this year!

Put on: "Dendrofil for Yggdrasil"

It's dark and pretty freaky. Inner demons and such. Quite badass.

3. Highasakite - Camp Echo

Norway's best pop group at the moment, Highasakite, had a hard job following up 2014's s terrific Silent Treatment. Although they didn't quite manage to live up to my sky-high expectations, they actually came much closer than I initially thought. Camp Echo has some spectacular songs on it that rank among their best, but is on a whole colder, darker and more electronic than its predecessor, and didn't quite sit right as an album at first. But after seeing the Echo songs performed live at the Pstereo festival last summer, a new side of them was revealed to me. Many of the songs I didn't like much on the album opened up in their high-energy live versions, and became some of the highlights of the set. Camp Echo wasn't quite what I hoped for from Highasakite, but was a solid effort from an incredibly talented band.

Put on: "Golden ticket"

The singles covers were zoomed in on different parts of the pig. Cool concept!

2. Karpe Diem - Heisann Montebello

The rap duo Karpe Diem is one of Norway's most popular hiphop-acts, and they spent 2016 rolling out a series of provocative singles, challenging Norway's populist politicians, online hatespreaders, islamophobes and more. The seven singles now gathered on the "project" Heisann Montebello have all received heavy radio-play, but rather than growing tired of their voices after a year of continuous spotlight, I tend to turn it up every time they come on. With these iconic, immediately catchy songs and a determination to use their celebrity status for something more than their own gain, these guys have become important voices in the public debate in Norway. Heisann Montebello is by far the best in Karpe Diem's catalogue so far, and I don't think we've heard the last from them.

Put on: "Lett å være rebell i kjellerleiligheten din" ("Easy to be a rebel in your basement apartment")

Haha! A charming, oddball cover full of different weird people.
It looks homemade and sloppy, but makes you think twice when you look closer.

1. No. 4 - Henda i Været

The all-female band No. 4 (number 4) released their odd and charming debut last spring. It's a bit uneven, but at its best it really hits me hard. Maybe it's just that it really nails what it feels like to be a young adult in Norway, away from home and just finished studying and in the weird process of "establishing" without knowing quite what that means. The songs channel different personalities, many of which force me to consider the way I think and the choices I make. Some mirror me way too perfectly, while others challenge me to step aside and make sure that I haven't become what they're singing about.

Aside from the brilliant "Føkk lunsj" the first half is maybe a bit uninteresting lovesongy, but things really pick up later on, "No. 1" and "Låst" are surprising and impressive musically and lyrically, "Jeg har aldri sett elg" ("I've never seen a moose") and "Lite og stort" ("Small and large") are quaint, beautiful and goosebump-inducing. No. 4 were the most exciting breakthrough act in Norway last year, and I'm looking forward to hearing more from them.

Put on: "Føkk lunsj", "Låst" ("Locked")