Herald K - Mythologies
In Herald K’s work you instantly recognize a passion for stories, for history. His second album Mythologies proves just that. And explores the topic far and wide. The album starts with almost prophetic words ” I’m an old soul/I know that this old world is gonna keep on turning long after I’m gone”.
The vocal delivery is captivating. Mid-spoken, combined with the strings, the singer draws you into his world and exposes his soul to you. The violin, played by Stephan Steiner, sparkles throughout the track and adds an element of brightness.
Echo’s Song, one of the previously released singles, clearly shows where Herald K’s strength lies. Some of the verses are spoken instead of sung, making the words as impactful as possible. The gentle piano forms a perfect background and the female vocal of Lina Louise adds a refreshing feel, lighting up the overall mood.
The imagery in Herald K’s songwriting is vivid, lively, engaging. The accompaniment of acoustic instruments suits him, makes him shine and pushes the listener into the world of his creativity. Once you’re there, you find it hard to get out but frankly you don’t want to. Unique perspective of writing and storytelling along with seemingly simple yet well-thought instrumentation do the trick.
Circe is probably the strangest track on this collection. Dark and intense, you sense the malice from the get go. Even the music makes you spin round and round.
Wandering Aengus, written by WB Yeats, sounds like destined to receive the Herald K treatment. A mellow, country-ish ballad, emphasizing the story once again, stops the time. It takes courage to put music to a classic such as this but the Norwegian knows what he’s doing. Perhaps he himself is from another time, an old soul, as mentioned in the opening track.
Arethusa, where the nyckelharpa dominates, strikes the listener with the way it’s put together and delivered, as if the singer was singing right to the nymph. The female backing vocal feels ethereal, mystical, as intended.
We mentioned the country element already but we feel that Where The Eagles Fly sums it up. You may even get a Wild West feeling as you listen. One of those timeless melodies that ought to go down into the songbooks and be sung in the decades and centuries to come.
Charon is another dark and intense track, the darkest of all. Somber delivery and arrangement only enhance the impact. We all sometimes wonder what’s on the other side, don’t we? This track unveils the mystery, only to a certain extent. Enough to keep your mind racing.