JÄVERLING, RIKARD - THE VALLEYS (CD)

"The Valleys is Rickard Jäverling's second full-length album, and the follow-up to his debut outing Two Times Five Lullaby. Pulling together myriad strands of folk music, Jäverling excels at creating wonderfully evocative images and sounds via delicate finger-picking and deft instrumentation, in a similar vein to his fellow countrymen Andreas Söderström (ASS) and Karl-Jonas Winqvist (Blood Music). Any similarities to the British folk boom - with artists like Jansch and Pentangle, John Renbourn, and the work of John Fahey, as well as a host of others - aren't mere coincidence. Jäverling's style is perhaps also informed by his travelling experiences, and time spent in both Ireland and Glasgow, Scotland, appear to have had a decisive impact. With traces of American folk music too, and a penchant for chamber-rock, there's also a keen ear for melody and arrangements at play here, so it's no surprise to learn that there's an admiration of Ennio Morricone which lurks within his music, not least on the serene and filmic April." (label info)