Årringar

Like counting the rings of a tree to find out its age, Årringar counts the years in traditional song. It’s ‘the circle of life,’ Frøholm says, ‘my way of conveying the contrasts between the hard winter and short but sweet summer.’ It’s a journey of a Hardanger fiddle and a double bass (the Norwegian bass player Sigurd Hole, well known for his work with the Tord Gustavsen Trio and the Karl Seglem band for example), exploring their sonic worlds to see what might happen when old folk tunes meet contemporary compositions.

The result is a thoughtful, atmospheric collection of cuts recalling fiddle traditions and dance rhythms, sometimes in partnership with each other, sometimes challenging each other’s worlds. It’s a wintry soundscape – summer is brief – sometimes cold enough to sting (as in the imaginative ‘Rimfrost’ painting the feathery hoar frost), sometimes playful (as in ‘Erlerida’ with its mischievous bass playing). It’s Frøholm’s fourth solo album and once again she shows her ability to capture worlds beyond, yet ever rooted in her own heritage, in this imaginative partnership with Hole.