Rune Walle & Gunn Alstadhaug - 2022 - Byrdie's Dream

(37:29; Apollon Records)

Track list:
1. Hey Byrdie 4:06
2. Lynx 3:52
3. Hold Your Horses 4:56
4. Away in the Wilderness 3:24
5. Darling 3:35
6. Signs Mock Me 5:00
7. Dead Dog 5:03
8. Fools Gold 3:00
9. Big Lonely 4:33

Line-up:
Gunn Alstadhaug - vocals
Rune Walle - vocals, guitars, sitar, banjo, mandolin, dobro, organ, harmonica
Stein Urheim - guitars, bass, mandolin, piano, samples, percussion, vocals
Ole Ludvig Krüger - drums
with:
Sara Taraldsen - vocals


Norwegian duo and couple Rune Walle and Gunn Alstadhaug are veterans in the Norwegian music scene, with Rune Walle in particular being a well known veteran at that, mainly due to his tenure in US band Ozark Mountain Daredevils back in the 1970's. "Byrdie's Dream" is the first album they release as a creative duo, and was released by Norwegian label Apollon Records in the spring of 2022.

Given Walle's past in various national country rock bands as well as his tenure with the very well known and regarded aforementioned US country rock band, it's not exactly a surprise that this is a style that is present on this album as well. This is not exclusively a production taking on that style though,and while  the majority of the material revolves around elements from this type of music in part or in whole I think that today the term Americana perhaps will be more useful in this case.

The album does open with more of a typical country rock affair though, and a smooth, tight and melodic variety of the style with lots of appeal at that. But after this opening cut more careful affairs focusing just as much on vocal harmonies as on Walle's excellent guitars are forthcoming, including a slight left turn into an older singer/songwriter variety of Country music. We are also treated to a couple of songs where vocals, lap steel and the use of instrument reverbs create quite the otherworldly sounding combination of country music and psychedelic music, forms and styles that actually combine very well indeed.

After the halfway point of the album Walle and Alstadhaug switch gears to landscapes with a rather different character altogether with the songs 'Signs Mock Me' and 'Dead Dog'. These songs are more dreamladen and otherworldly in style, form and execution, adding mystic elements and folk music details with as well as without a strict US connection, resulting in songs that aren't too far away from what a US originating version of a band like Clannad might have crafted.

The downside of this production will for some be that it does come with a fair bit of variation, while for others this will obviously be a positive. The variation also stretch to moods and atmospheres explored in general, as we have melancholic and mournful creations here as well as creations with more of a dreamladen nature, and a playful and uplifting experience too in the shape of the Country tune 'Fools Gold'.

While "Byrdie's Dream" is a multifaceted creation, it is a production where a taste for Country music and Americana is required to be able to get the most out of the album experience. But for those that meet those requirements, and can appreciate old fashioned Country music just as much as Countryrock and Americana-flavored dreamladen compositions, this is a production that will be quite the intriguing experience I gather.


Olav M. Björnsen, April 2022

Links:
https://www.facebook.com/Rune-Walle-Gunn-Alstadhaug-111933191160800
https://www.apollonrecords.no/