Henrik Lindstand‘s latest album centres entirely around the sweet tonality of his piano playing. There is a remoteness and a kind of solitude on Nordhem that is reflected in the kind of videos he chooses to release for each piece.
They find him alone with his upright somewhere in the world, be it a road bridge or the depth of some foliage or a remote peak. Wherever he finds himself though, that same measured feel emanates. It is unruffled and elemental and he seems to be doing his best to put his listeners into that same state of grace as he finds himself.
Over the course of the fourteen solo pieces presented here, he attempts to take the listener on a journey, one which passes through distant places and the sort of locations one must work to attain, but with each piece being around the three minute mark, it is impressive how well they work. There is similarity with some of Einaudi‘s work, but in a way there is an ascetic simplicity. Over the course of about two minutes, “Stora Huset” manages to transport you to a place of meditative calm without being melancholy. Perhaps that is the secret; although the pieces move in a stately manner and you can almost feel the notes lingering in the aether, they aren’t trying to pull your heartstrings, but rather are trying to open your eyes to what is around you.
-Mr Olivetti-
