Rita Engedalen-Sun Will Come
Rita Engedalen, Sun Will Come
Multi international award-winning Norwegian artist, Rita Engedalen, has come up with a very original and engaging selection of Blues on this 11-track album. Blues that are influenced by such artists as Ma Rainey, Billy Holiday and Jesse Mae Hemphill, they became close friend over the later years of Jesse’s life. The songs on this album reflect true Delta blues, Louisiana blues and country blues.
The album opens up with, ‘Let’s Go Down’, a beautifully stark acoustic, the guitar setting the groundwork, but what is immediately apparent is Rita’s stunning voice. The feel is almost tribal, with her arabica dark roast timbre, wonderfully textured, like tree bark that grips from the off. ‘Sunshine Devil’, has thumping bass and lively, kick-ass, thunderous drums, Rita picks up on the rhythm delivering her message, “I am a woman”, invulnerable to the works of the devil himself, as intoxicating as Tennessee whisky.
Equally lively is the fast tracking, ‘I Wanna Feel Good’, which features a harp buzzing around like a bee on a promise, Rita’s voice has that slight vibrato edge, as electric guitar sweeps in for a lead. Time to get up and groove, “black dress, blue night, I’m looking for me in your eyes”, a great line. Much more profound, dark even, ‘I’m Changed’, “but I’m still here”, deeply atmospheric percussion, is given a gilded edge with muted trumpet from Nils Petter Molvær, but the storm still rages. A phenomenal piece of music that says so much about the human condition, time moves ever on, but we can all change to find our way forward.
Title track, ‘Sun Will Come’, presents Rita’s awesome vocals in the starkest, most perfect way, just her guitar framing this blues lament, that drips with emotion. The sun can lift our spirit, the rich voice is for our soul. A good time to let rip with the cracking blues, Cajun empowered, ‘Black Cat Bone’, tambourine sparkles away, whilst the rhythm will have your feet moving, let the vibe carry you.
In contrast to much of this album, ‘North Mississippi Blues is an outright rocker, the band release their collective force for Engedalen to sing about a small town, small shack, up in the North, where she awaits Jesus, all night long.
Much as I want to unwrap more of the stunning songs in this album, I know space does not allow, but I’ll not ignore the closing song, ‘Wait For Me’, another wonderfully dark atmospheric song. That soundscape conjured up from the percussive spells cast by Olaf Olsen, veined throughout with Morten Omlid’s, guitar.
Engedalen’s album is superb start to finish, if you love blues in its truest sense, you will love this, like a Turner watercolour it is full of subtle shades, and wonderful stormy skies, its beautifully addictive.
Musicians feature; Engedalen on vocals and acoustic guitar, Morten Omlid (acoustic and electric guitar) Eskil Aasland (drums and percussion), Bård Gunnar Moe (bass), Margit Bakken (choir) Tuva Syvertsen (choir), Kari Gjærum (choir), Nils Petter Molvær (trumpet), Olaf Olsen, Jostein Forsberg (harmonica), Espen Fjelle, Mattis Kleppen, Halvor Halvorsen and Daniel Eriksen.
Tracks;
1 Lets Go Down And Pray
2 Sunshine Devil
3 God Will Watch
4 I Wanna Feel Good Tonight
5 I’m Changed
6 Sun Will Come
7 Black Cat Bone
8 North Mississippi Blues
9 The Right Hand
10 Colours In Rain
11 Wait For Me
https://ritaengedalen.com/musikk/
Words Graham Munn