Customer Reviews

Briefly Shaking

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An album that has been a fixture of every CD player I can get near since the moment it arrived in my possession, Anja Garbarek's "Briefly Shaking" is in many ways a vast departure from anything she's done previously-- keeping the elements of electronica and the layered orchestral instrument arrangements, Garbarek for this record partnered with Icelandic alternative musician Gisli, who handles the majority of the instrumental duties. The result is stunning-- a slice of modern alternative art rock-- like an update on Brian Eno's '70s pop albums or a Kate Bush filtered through Seattle, or sometimes a bit of both.

Like the rest of Garbarek's album, diversity is key here-- whether a minimalist arranged alt-rock workout ("Dizzy With Wonder", with a comfortable middle register vocal below the stripped back pulse, "Shock Activities", pushed forward and forced onward by horn arrangements led by father Jan on honking baritone sax, explosive "This Momentous Day"), or chasing the ghost of early '80s Kate Bush (sublimely overarranged "The Last Trick", achingly beautiful and yet downright creepy "Can I Keep Him", a first person telling of serial killer Dennis Nilsen's acts) or just downright different (piano-driven and electronica hinting "My Fellow Riders"), it all works, and it all works perfectly.

Perhaps just as importantly, it's an album that's staggeringly unique-- it has its influences and some of them are worn proudly-- the aformentioned Eno and Bush but also father Jan Garbarek and hints of No-Man figure prominently, and it's passionate performance coupled with production by Garbarek that makes the best use of space of nearly any recording I've ever heard (check out "Sleep"-- the strings and organ pulse and throb in the background on the chorus, but Garbarek sounds like she's singing in your ear, or the previously mentioned "Shock Activities", it sounds like a scream of guitars driving it until you notice it's a horn arrangement). It's not like her older works, and it's not like the other Northern European women singers that Garbarek seems to constantly get lumped in with (Bjork, Stina Nordstrom, etc.), it's really quite unique.

The bottom line is that I've played this record for anyone who will listen to it. It's probably the best pop (used loosely) album of the past few years. Essential listening.

I was struck by "last trick" playing on the radio and ordered this album, without knowing anything from anja garbarek. See the review from Dede Korkut, I could not have expressed it better.

An album that has been a fixture of every CD player I can get near since the moment it arrived in my possession, Anja Garbarek's "Briefly Shaking" is in many ways a vast departure from anything she's done previously-- keeping the elements of electronica and the layered orchestral instrument arrangements, Garbarek for this record partnered with Icelandic alternative musician Gisli, who handles the majority of the instrumental duties. The result is stunning-- a slice of modern alternative art rock-- like an update on Brian Eno's '70s pop albums or a Kate Bush filtered through Seattle, or sometimes a bit of both.

Like the rest of Garbarek's album, diversity is key here-- whether a minimalist arranged alt-rock workout ("Dizzy With Wonder", with a comfortable middle register vocal below the stripped back pulse, "Shock Activities", pushed forward and forced onward by horn arrangements led by father Jan on honking baritone sax, explosive "This Momentous Day"), or chasing the ghost of early '80s Kate Bush (sublimely overarranged "The Last Trick", achingly beautiful and yet downright creepy "Can I Keep Him", a first person telling of serial killer Dennis Nilsen's acts) or just downright different (piano-driven and electronica hinting "My Fellow Riders"), it all works, and it all works perfectly.

Perhaps just as importantly, it's an album that's staggeringly unique-- it has its influences and some of them are worn proudly-- the aformentioned Eno and Bush but also father Jan Garbarek and hints of No-Man figure prominently, and it's passionate performance coupled with production by Garbarek that makes the best use of space of nearly any recording I've ever heard (check out "Sleep"-- the strings and organ pulse and throb in the background on the chorus, but Garbarek sounds like she's singing in your ear, or the previously mentioned "Shock Activities", it sounds like a scream of guitars driving it until you notice it's a horn arrangement). It's not like her older works, and it's not like the other Northern European women singers that Garbarek seems to constantly get lumped in with (Bjork, Stina Nordstrom, etc.), it's really quite unique.

The bottom line is that I've played this record for anyone who will listen to it. It's probably the best pop (used loosely) album of the past few years. Essential listening.

This is my third copy. The first I lent to a friend and will never get back. The second got moved around from car to home to car and finally got too scratched to play. Having said that...I think Ms. Gabarek channels the flavor of Blade Runner or Twin Peaks. The album can be dark, moody, and playful within the same song. I think the strongest tracks are Sleep, The Momentous Day, and Dizzy with Wonder. I like the mix of noises, vocals and melody.