Beginner's Guide to Scandinavia

Split into three areas (pop and contemporary, folk and roots, and jazz, experimental, and atmospheric) this budget collection is an excellent primer to the range and different styles of Nordic music. The boundaries between different genres are fluid, and the pop isn't in the obvious chart style, but more mature and considered, exemplified by Kari Bremnes, the Gainsbourg-Waits gravel of Lars Demian, and the folktronica of Valravn; it's as much dance music as folk, and that leads neatly into this roots CD, which contains many of the expected names, like Eivor and Värttinä. But it's with the third disc that there are plenty of surprises, like the sound of Karl Seglem or Terje Isungset, as well as Benny Andersson's Orkester -- yes, the ABBA man -- with something moderately experimental. It finishes with a couple of Sami joikers, "Wimme" and "Mari Boine," showing that even the traditional can be placed in new, daring contexts. This disc won't show you the bland mainstream of Scandinavian music, but by taking the back roads, it opens up a fuller and much more interesting picture. ~ Chris Nickson