Music has the power to change the world. It can tear down walls, extinguish the flames of hatred, and expose/uproot corruption. Music has helped bring entire governments to their knees. It empowers the weak and gives us strength in our times of doubt and need. Above all else: it has the power to make us believe. The only problem is that very few musicians nowadays remember how to make the music of old; take the Pyramids of Giza, as an example. We know where they are; we know they exist. It's just that we have absolutely no idea how they came to be. But fear not my fellow folkies for there is hope! Swedish Folk-Pop duo Land and Ocean have rediscovered the blueprints to greatness on their latest track ‘Jenny's Song' – and they seek to build a Cathedral.
Vocalist Sandra Holst hails the Second Coming of Grace Slick on ‘Jenny's Song'. Her voice booms like a bass drum: chilling yet also alluring. Provocative even. Backed by fellow bandmate/husband Martin, this wife and husband duo intertwine beautifully and in a most complementary fashion. If you took the vocal timbre and resonance of Brandon Boyd; paired that with the folk-rock foundation of Crosby, Stills, Nash, & Young; throw in a few fiddle licks and some intricate banjo work for good measure; and voila – you've got Land and Ocean. Two immovable musical masses, simultaneously surrendering and conquering one another. Day in; day out. Hmm…that sounds like a metaphor for something…
The instrumentation on ‘Jenny's Song' is nothing short of tantalizing. It's not often I find myself unable to discern instruments and tracks, but I have to admit this one had me stumped. Strings, guitars, a banjo – and a didgeridoo? Or is it a deep resonating bass note? Perhaps a cello? Whatever the case may be, what's not up for debate is the fact that ‘Jenny's Song' is a complex, structured folk tune that never loses its pop appeal. Not for an instant. It's equal parts Top 40 and Newport Folk Festival circa 1964. What more could you ask for?
Land and Ocean remind me of the great folk heroes of old: the ones who knew the inherent power of a song. Never forget that Folk Music helped to start a revolution. Over the decades, it has sewn itself into the very fabric of global politics. Sandra and Martin haven't forgotten this truth. They've managed to tap into the living memory of their craft, and in doing so, have found true chemistry. By giving themselves to one another both musically and spiritually, their musical offspring is unique. ‘Jenny's Song' is a fusion of that spirit. It's an ode to the power of love, as well as a living testament that helped define a generation. Land and Ocean is more than a wife and her husband; they're more than a band. They're a team, a partnership; forever entwined and eternally constant.
Support Land and Ocean via
Listen to Land & Ocean and more awesome new music on our New Music playlist!
Recent Comments