Welcome to Sowulo’s enchanting world.
With this new album entitled NIHT, released by Season of Mist, multi-instrumentalist Faber Horbach‘s project (vocals, nyckelharpa, carnyx, bouzouki, percussion, keyboards…) ventures into the world of night and its mysteries.
The band’s founder is accompanied by Micky Huijsmans (vocals), Chloe Bakker (Irish harp), Maria Angeles Chaparro Fuentes (viola), Rikke Linssen (violin), Heleen de Jonge (cello), Tessa van Genderen (carnyx/horns), Bart van den Brink (taglharpa), and Tim Elfring (percussion).
When you start listening to the album, you quickly understand the terms “ritualistic meditation” and “spiritual journey” that the band evokes, because from the very first seconds of Niwe M?na, Micky‘s voice transports us into their universe, and when Faber joins her on Seolfren Sicol, we understand that there will be no turning back. The musicians handle the folk instruments perfectly, invoking in turn unifying energy, haunting melancholy, and even darker touches of unease that cloud the ritual. Each note responds to the previous one, and all seem driven by the same desire: to guide our minds along this sometimes theatrical path that allows us to contemplate the dreamlike swirls that populate the compositions, as well as the intoxicating vocals. The vocal diversity is also noteworthy, particularly on Full M?na, where the duo changes, with Faber opting for a more raw, guttural singing style that contrasts sharply with Micky‘s softness, but the two continue to work together, and sometimes alone, as on the surprising M?naþbl?d, followed by Niht?agan, which I find particularly cheerful. I would also highlight Carnyx, an ethereal composition clearly dedicated to the instrument of the same name, as well as Heolstor S?eadu, which offers one of the most varied rhythms on the album, moving effortlessly from a fast and lively march to dark, almost disturbing nuances.
Although I’m not much of a huge fan of folk music outside of live performances, I have to admit that Sowulo has a unique personality! NIHT transcended me from start to finish, masterfully pacing this adventure and offering a wide variety of landscapes.
90/100