FERVENT MIND

Tranquilize Karisma

Absurdly eclectic debut from Norwegian experimentalists.

To call Fervent Mind eclectic is to almost do them a disservice, for few debuts come close to covering as much ground. There’s trip-hop, jazz, dream-pop and classic rock for a start. There’s even a tangible Kate Bush influence, thanks to singer and founder member Live Sollid’s incredible vocals. Torrid is the first standout track, echoing the dark ambient aesthetic of Massive Attack’s seminal Mezzanine album, and the track Angel in particular. Runaway Bride is part sun-baked psychedelic rock in the vein of Sleepy Sun, and part early Zeppelin romp, with an ecstatic,

bombastic finale that’s probably the album’s high point. The band claim Porcupine Tree as an influence, but it’s Insurgentes-era Steven Wilson that looms large in the riffs on Disappearing Into The Masses Pt II.

There’s a keyboard wig-out at the end that really crowns the track, but it does leave the question of how the album reached this point from its muted, harmonically dark opening cuts. While a consistent theme might not be present, that’s beside the point. This album is all about the sheer amount of variety on offer, the quality of the composition, effortless flow and brilliant hooks. al