Haruko
Wild Geese
Bracken Records

I thought the folk beauty of last year's Early Love Music from Werkraum would see no rivals for some time, but like a lone feather this album fell into my hands and onto my platter. And it blew me away.

I don't know much about Haruko: Her real name is Susanne Stanglow, she's from Germany, and this is her debut album. Accompanied by her own guitar, she recorded this album herself, at home. The only trickery is some doubletracking of her voice, and the occasional glockenspiel. Still, the album is shimmering with beauty. Haruko's voice and her songs are so fragile I fear they might break. Her love of nature and its creatures may be dreamy, but not without loss or melancholy. Life is magic, and life is sadness - the world may be broken and damaged, but it surely would be a poorer place without this album.

Check out a few songs on Harukos' myspace page, but be quick if you want this album on vinyl - Bracken Records only did 300 copies of it, and they are probably running out fast.

Copyright © 2009 Knut Tore Breivik