Norway is a country steeped in music, and musical history. Wardruna, is a legacy collective of Norwegian musicians who in the past have had some of the nation’s biggest alternative artists contribute to their one-of-a-kind pagan and aboriginal sound. Each member of this collective brings their own expertise and sound to the table, this time round, resulting in a nature themed album, aiming to take the listener directly to the forest in a way only Wardruna are capable of on Birna.
The album opens with ‘Hertan.’ Straight away, the percussion takes charge. As the drumming increases, layers of vocals get added on top of each other, creating a tribal atmosphere that continues throughout this album. Halfway through the song, mastermind Einar Selvik adds his own vocal melody which overlaps the choirs. This gives this track a sense of power, as if the listener is a wild animal, and is looking for their next victim. By the time this song fades away at the end, I entered a trance which I could not escape from until the album finished.
‘Ljos til Jord’ starts out with a vocal melody which was again sung by choirs. This time, main vocalist Einar is a lot more present, so are the additions of a flute and a harp. None of these songs are complex, but the layering works so well, it feels like each of these has an identity of their own, and three songs in, nothing sounds alike. Nature in this song is represented by the sound effects of wind, and water at the very end, making sure that no element of a forest is missing.
The longest song on the album, coming in at 15 minutes, starts out with a prevalent horn sound, which is followed by even more nature sounds. This is easily the slowest progressing track on the record as when the vocals begin, over four minutes have passed. Once the vocals do begin though, it is the elements of the different sounds combining that make ‘Dvaledraumar’ so memorable. The layering makes the song sound so much more complex than it really is, and that deserves to be applauded.
‘Himnidotter’ is where this album really changes. From this point on, the songs feel as if they are structured in a more familiar way. This track has more choruses but has that same layering effect each of these songs have had so far. This five-minute epic is once again more percussion driven, but it still feels fresh and powerful compared to what comes before.
The song that follows is very similar to ‘Himnidotter’ in terms of structure but includes only Einar singing accompanied by an acoustic guitar.
‘Tretale’ returns to being percussion driven, kicking off with a thumping pounding of a drum, with acoustic guitar strumming in the background, and layered vocals making a return, bringing us back to a canopy of noises and voices. Around a couple of minutes in, a really catchy melodic guitar riff, gets introduced. This is what the rest of the song revolves upon. What really elevates this song, is once again, the vocals. A simple concept for a song once again handled to perfection.
The album closer is the second longest song on this record. Kicking off with a choir and percussion crescendo, the rest of the instruments enter as the volume increases. Whispers and different percussion instruments are used to signify leaves and the feeling of walking around a forest. Featuring another chorus, the different vocal pitches keep the melody fresh. The bridge here has one of the best vocal performances from Einar on this album, which showcases his full vocal range and ability. The song, and record ends by shining the spotlight on what is clearly the backbone of the record, the percussion showing that Einar fully understands what this album was meant to sound like.
Overall, this album blew my expectations out of the water. It is so simple yet so effective in what it does. The musicality is nothing overly that special as the focus of the songs are on the massive crescendos and vocal layering, but having bizarre instruments, which we do not get to hear every day, such as the harp and the horns really make this a standout album. Einar clearly knew what he wanted to achieve with Birna, and he pulled it off massively, cementing Norway as one of the best countries for music. This album does not only transport you to a forest, but it will also leave you in a trance. One which you would not want to get out of.
Wardruna: Birna – Out 24 February 2025 (Sony / Music For Nations)
– Birna (Official Music Video)
