Spurv - Brefjære

With expansive studio albums and captivating live shows, it's safe to say that Spurv have left an indelible impression on the international post-rock scene over the past decade. This Norwegian sextet has released 3 stellar albums thus far, but their new record Brefjære opens up a whole new dimension in terms of composition, musicianship, scope and production. Brefjære combines the orchestral grandeur of MONO with the wistful textures of This Will Destroy You and the Scandinavian mysticism of Sigur Rós. An oratorio for a world in despair with which Spurv redefine the boundaries of symphonic rock and post-rock, finding beauty and solace in the intersection of time, nature, history, and humanity.

Overall, Brefjære is an exercise in reconsiling postmodern relativity and genre-bending with classical composition techniques. The way the vibraphone arpeggios ebb and fow behind the fast-chugging guitars to slowly lead up to the final theme on «En brennende vogn over jordet» testifes to a dynamic sensitivity that is unseen in this kind of music. Likewise, the way the bass completely has its own life on «Som skyer» shows Pedersen’s approach to his bandmates’ parts is closer to that of an orchestra than a rock band. In fact, the moments in which instruments play in unison are quite rare throughout Brefjære, but when they do, for example on the thunderous main theme of «Til en ny vår», it is to full efect. The level of intricacy on Brefjære is breathtaking and seemingly matches the architecture of cathedrals and concert halls in which many oratorios used to be performed!

From its immaculate conception during an unsuspecting gaze out of the window to the extensive process of its creation, Brefjære is a work of art that brings together the temporal and the eternal both in music and in poetry, revealing the universal truth that we are all equally everlasting and equally ephemeral.