Alku: The Beginning

Violin, voice and jouhikko (Finnish bowed lyre) make for a powerful combination in this solo album from Päivi Hirvonen, who also performs with the much talked-about band Okra Playground. Hirvonen brings a strong sense of narrative to her music and lyrics, never far from the world of stories from the Finnish epic Kalevala, with its casting of spells, its powerful women and its potent sense of nature. ‘Viinanpiru’ for example brings out the blood-curdling possibilities of Hirvonen's voice as she berates the demon drink – ‘booze devil, vicious fiend!’ It makes a fine contrast with the lullaby ‘Tuuti, Tuuti Tuomenmarja’, which turns out to be a heartbreaking song for a wished-for child. Tenderly sung with subtle colour and texture from the instruments, it's a real tear-jerker to end the album with.

Hirvonen has a captivating way of drawing the listener right in, never overplaying the essence of the song. She successfully manages to marry the soul of Finnish tradition with a contemporary approach. ‘Eikä Mun Saisi Laulella’ (And I Shouldn't Be Singing) has one of those stories that you can imagine unfolding over an entire night. ‘I didn't think an evening this sad would come, when I can hear my own love singing on another's doorstep,’ she sings, the song's heartbreak and melancholy emerging in colourful gentleness and power.