Review by UnhinderedbyTalent for Wardruna - Kvitravn (2021)

It is with a heavy heart that I must confess to not enjoying the opening track on Kvitravn.  I have heard a lot of Wardruna in my time and the dark ambience of their equally gloomy folk music is what really appeals to me, this ethereal beauty of their music is mesmerising to me.  Hearing their latest opus commence with an upbeat, positive sounding number, Synkverv is disappointing and unexpected.

Thankfully this is the only track that sets a foot wrong and the rest of the album is absolutely pristine in terms of quality and outright touching and emotive song writing.  Highlights such as the title track with its haunting strings and shadowy female vocals, Skugge with its tribal tendencies and the superbly sultry Grá all land in the first four tracks of the record, setting a high standard which is well maintained through to the end of the album.

This feels like a real coming of age record, which is ironic because for my money Wardruna have rarely put a foot wrong.  This album just has this sense of majesty to it, with the traditional and minimalist instrumentation gelling perfectly with the atmospherics to create a truly consuming experience that is beyond just mere listening to music.  I am fortunate enough to live near some woods and get to walk through them most days and listening to Kvitravn during these morning ambles through nature is one of life's absolute pleasures.

Equally though I can still feel that connection to nature and indeed the history being expressed here just by sitting in my lounge or office and putting this album on.  One of the few real listening experiences I have heard this year so far and it has come from a non-metal release.