Bak Lås Og Slå

From thieves to murderers this is a collection of songs about outcasts of Norwegian society in the 19th century. With a title that translates as ‘Behind Bars,’ there are songs featuring those who found themselves on the wrong side of the law and became legends such us Ole Høiland who robbed the Norwegian Central Bank in 1835, and some who, simply through poverty, became beggars and ended up behind bars. The stories are mostly told as ballads, full of character and history, but what makes this album so compelling is the wonderfully imaginative arrangements by this fine Norwegian quartet. Between them they play fiddles, guitars, banjo, accordion, dulcimer, reed organ and harmonica to accompany the vocals that are rich and bring a real sensitivity to the stories.

The textures seem fresh and alive with each track as you might expect from great performers who are already well known in Norway’s folk and jazz scenes. Even if you don’t speak Norwegian, you can feel the heartache of ‘Stavangervise’, the tale of a young woman whose only crime was poverty and homelessness, or find yourself caught up in the energy of ‘Grusomme Skjebne’ about a master thief who became a great writer while in prison. I’m looking forward to the next Stampestuen offering already.