Customer Reviews

Under the Surface

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Marit Larsen proves with this album that she is possibly the most skilled lyricist to emerge from the turn-of-the-century pop craze. Her songs resonate perfectly with a wide range of emotion, yet have a depth and complexity that makes them grow even more beautiful with more listens.

"Solid Ground" is a delicate ballad that speaks, first between the lines and then directly, the pain of the struggle to keep yourself... if you're familiar with the history of Marit's career in M2M (or even if you're not), you will be touched. "Under the Surface" is a tour of a jealous love, backed up with a beautiful melody that brings out the song's pleasure and pain. "Don't Save Me" and "Only A Fool" are lighthearted tunes that celebrate the freedom to leave a broken relationship. All in all, the album speaks of living as yourself and loving that life, even in painful situations. It's a short album, but it says a lot in its subtleties, and it is ultimately very uplifting.

Musically, the album lacks the synthetic sugariness of Marit's early hits with M2M, but replaces it with a more mature and organic style of acoustic pop, allowing Marit to show a wider range of vocal talent than on either of the M2M albums. She also takes on several new instruments beyond her usual acoustic guitar (the album includes two very effective piano ballads). Some of the songs (particularly "Only A Fool" and "Come Closer") are more folksy than Marit's pop background would suggest; as someone who isn't generally a big fan of folk music, I can say that on this album, the presence of banjo and harmonica on some tracks only serves to bring out the soul of the music even more.

I'd recommend Under the Surface both to fans of the old style of teen pop (like myself) and those who preferred music that was more "real". Marit continues to write virtually all of her own material, and it shows in her subtle but sometimes haunting vocal delivery.

If you're tired of the droning and bland sounds from the radio, then you've probably come to the right place.

The former blonde half of the Norweigen pop sensation M2M, Marit larsen has come a long way to produce a work that's nothing short of a masterpiece in the folk-pop genre (although that can barely describe the diversity and originality of the album).

Although revolving around the usual themes of relationships, romance, love, and love lost, she approaches it with honest lyrics and with the band, quirky and melodic instrumentals, making the common sound so refreshingly new.

As some have mentioned, I rarely find myself skipping through songs as the album works so well in its entirety, with each track naturally progressing to the next.

However, I can say that this album is not for everyone. It has a very predominant folk direction, with the pop elements playing a supporting role. This can probably explain why 'Don't Save Me' and 'Under The Surface' are the radio hits in Norway, them being the more conventional pop-rock/ballad arrangements in the album (the other in my opinion being 'Solid Ground').

Marit's sound is very organic, having very little synthesized sounds or use of anything electronic (other than a little use of vocal effects for some of the tracks, notably 'Poison Passion'). But what really gives the album such a different dimension is the liberal use of various bluegrass instruments such as the; banjo, mandolin, harmonica and many other acoustic-based instruments.

So if you're one who finds it hard to appreciate the not so conventional, I would give the album a skip, although you may still enjoy 'Under The Surface', 'Solid Ground' and 'Don't Save Me'. But for those wanting to try something new and refershing, and missed hearing music that is simple and honest, you won't go wrong with Under The Surface.

Favourite Tracks:

'This Time Tomorrow' (Really love the instrumentals in this track, fun and edgy, although the lyrics are about a girl and her rather paranoid behavoiur towards her boyfriend. Somehow the contrast works really well.)

'The Sinking Game' (Second best example next to 'Only a Fool' that exemplifies the unique folk aspect of the album. Great instrumentals on this one too, a nice fusion of jazz, folk and pop.)

'Come Closer' (With that distinctive Banjo riff in the beginning to the wonderfully arranged chorus, this track brings you along a rollercoaster ride of emotions through the arrangment. Also one of Marit's stronger vocal performances in the album. A great union of folk and pop-rock elements.)

For those who were fans of the late band M2M, you may remember this beautiful young lady as the tender voiced blonde. Her look isn't the only thing that has changed of this 23 year old Norwegian singer/songwriter/musician. Her vocals have improved, and as a solo artist, is no longer pushed into the background as the guitar playing blonde.
The first song on her album is entitled "In Came The Light" and is just over one minute long. It is a simple, yet lovely opening song that describes (or can be interpreted as) how she is stepping into the light and changing for the better. The song is solely written by Marit Larsen, and the music is almost mystical sounding. The short yet sweet song receives an 8/10.
The second song on the album is named "Under The Surface" and would become the second single for her to release with a video. It is a song about loving a man but wondering if he can be true with concerns of his ex-lover. The music at opportune times comes off as sad, but the lyrics are fairly positive for being in the said position. Personally, I would say she displays her voice the best in this song, and the lyrics are masterfully written (by Marit alone). This song receives a 9/10.
The third song on the album is called "Don't Save Me" and was the first single she released before the album itself was placed on the shelves. The music is fun and somewhat bouncy in this song, but the lyrics are almost spiteful toward an unknown person who can be seen as patronizing. Marit again displays the levels she can reach with her vocal talent in this song, but the lyrics seem a bit lacking in parts of this song (co-written with Peter Zizzo). The song receives an 8/10.
The fourth song on Marit's debut album is entitled "Only A Fool". This song was the third single released off this album, but was released only as an internet single. The song is about a cheating ex-lover who (it seems) wants a seemingly impossible second chance. The music in this song is also fun, but in a folk like manner (written by Marit alone). The lyrics are very catchy with the tune, forcing you to sing along. This song receives a 9/10.
The fifth song on the album is named "Solid Ground" and happens to be my personal favorite (so I will try not to be biased). The music is very deep, compared to other songs on her album, and the lyrics seem very personal to Marit, the sole writer. The beginning of the song starts off slow and deep but picks up by the chorus. The lyrics speak of someone (or thing) holding you back, but the song leaves you with a powerful message that leaves this listener with chills every time. The song receives a 10/10.
The sixth song on her album is "This Time Tomorrow". Another song written by Marit alone, it is very sad. Well, it is a good song, but the lyrics are of a girl with low self-esteem and questions if her lover is true to her. The music almost does not seem to fit the lyrics at times because of the content of the lyrics. The instrumental part of the song is amazing. The song receives a 9/10.
The seventh song on this album is entitled "Recent Illusion". Again, this song is written by Marit, but the lyrics in this song fall short of her obvious talent in songwriting. It seems like a poem one would write about a high school crush. The music makes up for where it fails in lyrics, and Marit's voice is as amazing as ever. This song receives a 7/10.
The eighth song on Marit's album is called "The Sinking Game". This song was co-written with Kåre Vestrheim and seems to be the most carefree song on the album. There are fun sound effects in-between lines, and the music makes you want to get up and create your own dance. The lyrics are hard to interpret but are cleverly put together. Marit displays a little of all her talents in this song. It receives a 9/10.
The ninth song on this album is named "To An End". This song is Marit's first collaboration and with another Norwegian singer no less (Thom Hell). The two harmonize very well and make you think back to the days of M2M. The lyrics, co-written with Egil Clausen, are marvelous, but the music at times may remind the listener of Christmas. Overall though, the music is very calming and soothes you into living the lyrics while listening to them. The song receives a 9/10.
The second to last song on this album is entitled "Come Closer". This song is written by Marit, and greatly displays the levels (again) at which Marit can reach with her voice. At times, she sings low and very sweet. The next second, she belts out with long vowels and high pitches. This display, I feel, makes up for the (very few) parts where the song lacks lyrically. The song itself is very sweet. It is about loving a guy but not knowing how to please him to keep him around. The song receives a 8/10.
The last song on Marit's debut album is named "Poison Passion". A very dramatic song, the music is deep and almost creepy. Marit displays her darker side in this song that she solely wrote with a more vengeful spite than in "Don't Save Me". The lyrics are amazing and feel, in this song more than any other, that they must be truly experienced to be written in this fashion. This song receives a 9/10.

Marit has truly made a name for herself in the music business. It may not be a true average judging by the grades above, but when I listen to the album as a whole, I would give it a firm 8.5-9/10. I suppose it depends to your mood when you listen to it.
She has come a long way in these 4 years, and I look forward to her music in the future.

I bought the album about six months ago, after hearing some of the songs off of the internet. I must say the album is just wonderful, with my favorite tracks being Under the Surface, Come Closer, Only a Fool and the Sinking Game. Okay, the whole album is just a delight to hear.

Some of the songs are lyrically brilliant, others vocally... and some are a great mix of both. The amazing thing about it is that you can just put it on and not skip ANY of the songs. They're fun. catchy, yet soothing~ I love the fusion of great pop music (that has been lacking in the past couple of years), hints of country and folk with a bit of magic realism mood in the mix.

This CD never fails to make me smile. I remember at a younger age listening to Marit in M2M, and I was distressed upon hearing that they broke up. This CD reminds me what I love about their music.

While many people seem to think that Marion has more vocal talent, I happen to like the rather ethereal quality of Marit's voice. It lends quite a bit of strength to her rather folksy and catchy little tunes on her album. The songs are the type of songs that you find yourself humming along to long after you've finished listening. Even better is the fact that you're never annoyed that it's stuck in your head!

However if I were to have one quibble with this CD it would be the fact that I can't put it on my MP3 player. It's heavily copy protected, and you'll have to download a special player to play it on your computer. It works just fine in a regular CD player but has issues with my Honda's CD player. It's not an authentic CD... rather it's just a bunch of data. So I can't see putting it on an MP3 player anytime soon... which makes me sad.

Face it guys, these days most if not all pop Artist ( I have trouble calling some of these people "Artist's") are lacking serious talent. In a world where Music is manufactured, and controlled by big money, comes somebody not affected, that can somehow fit in to a pop category, and not have to lip sink, where skimpy outfits, or generally just use sex as a selling point to her music. No marketing could ever capture what Marit has to offer, her music is just refreshing. It's not your average pop album, but at the same time her lyrics deal with the typical relationship problems, jealousy, love, joy, happiness, frustration, throw in some banjo, harmonica, mandolin, various string instruments, an acoustic guitar and you have Under the Surface. It's brilliant, genius, and overall just great music to listen to, you must buy this album.

I really didnt know what to expect when I got this album, but after a few listens there is only one conclusion I can make.... Marit Larsen has arrived, and she has what so many lack in this business..REAL TALENT. She IS the real deal.

Her songwriting is amazing. This album does not conform to any one standard out there, I truly believe she wrote this for herself and not under some preconveived notion of what the masses would like. I thank her for this because this is the best album I have heard in at least 10 years. In staying true to herself she has created something very special, a truly rare gem. Every song is different in it's own right and they will all surprise you in the directions they take. The lyrics are heartfelt, the music is at times so beautiful that you feel tears starting to form and Marit's voice is very very unique. Some of the music is even quite theatrical and playful, you can really hear how happy Marit is on this record. This feeling transfers directly over to the listener, I cannot help but smile when I listen to this album.

Give Under the Surface a try, you will not be dissapointed.

I'm not a fan of M2M during their finest days but when I heard one of their favorite tune last year (Pretty Boy) makes me wonder where they are now, quick searching I found out this album (along with Marion....)

When I download it, I surprised, how much she has changed, still a cute and shy person I know but she has matured, musically and lyrically. It's like out of this world, I never imagined that she can develop such deep, meaningful lyrics, with great music. She mixed up happy song in a very sad lyrics in Under The Surface and all I can say is its a success! My personal favorite is Solid Ground and Poison Passion. I just love turning up the volume all the way up just to listen to her voice and the music, its an event!

I thought download her song doesn't contribute anything to her and the quality is of course poor (I'm an audiophile, nothing but lossless coming out of my speaker) so I buy her album for the quality and to support her

Too bad some of her song playing live don't make it to this album, but that's her decision. I would love to see Walls right after Poison Passion but you can't have everything. But like Yoda say, 5 star this one deserves :)

Larsen first caught my attention when I saw M2M open up for Jewel in Washington D.C. I Didn't care much for the duo but it was obvious which one was the true talent. Marit has gone on to become the real deal and made some excellent music on this recording. Unfortunately, the other half of M2M, Marion Raven, has apparently flipped her lid.
I gotta agree that Marit is a much better solo artist with awseome style. The direction she has taken with this album is both unique an extremely entertaining. It tends to be a perfect blend of pop and folk with a Leigh Nash (Sixpence None the Richer) feel to it, only better. Well worth the extra few bucks I had to spend on an import cd! If she continues in this style, she'll have a long term fan here! I couldn't recomend this album any higher!

Firstly, I am not going to repeat others review, and will try to be objective.

Good news first, this CD is better than expected, quite good indeed. It grows on you and gets better and better over time. The melody and lyrics will be humming along in your head without you realising it! Not many songs can do that! You'll still be listening long after many other CDs have been retired into the back your CD collection. It is great in the car!

For this CD, the right expectation needs to be set upfront. Don't expect M2M "Shades of Purple" or you will be disappointed! Expect Norah Jones or Katie Malua, a bit of Irish Folk like the Coors or Mary Black ... you get the idea.

Ratings: M2M "Shades of Purple" is definately 5 Stars. And in my view, it set the standard for 5 Stars, which this CD could not match. It started out as one star (initial expectation played a part and the poor recording quality also) but ended up as 3.5 Stars weeks later as it grows on me and I started liking it more and more (Note: I will given it another half Star since my initial review; now 3.5 Stars)! It could have have been 4 Stars but half Star was taken off because there were 4 songs that were not too good (but the rest are really good!), and minus another half Star because the recording sound quality was between poor to terrible! (and i mean terrible by serious Hi-Fi standards).