Kate Havnevik – Melankton / 2007 Universal / 12 Tracks / http://www.katehavnevik.com / http://www.universal.com /
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 The same electronic-influenced sound that began “Melankton†continues during “Travel in Timeâ€, the chill sounds of Havnevik creating a cohesion for “Melanktonâ€. I understand that the style that Havnevik plays is slower than most pop music, but the extended runtimes do not help out Havnevik all that much. The arrangements that fuel Havnevik’s vocals are not varied enough to keep individuals interested throughout. If Havnevik could perhaps lop off a minute of the four that most of the tracks have, the resulting disc would be all that more tight. A track that really stands out as impressive compared to the rest of the still-solid tracks on “Melankton†has to be “You Againâ€.
The faster tempo of the track, coupled with the fact that the song is only three and a half minutes long, means that there is an energy present on the track that exceeds that of earlier tracks. Don’t get me wrong, there are still slower tracks present on “Melankton†that succeed and catch listeners’ ears. This is the case with “Nowhere Warmâ€, which has a little of an Enya feel to the track. The wide-open compositions of “Nowhere Warm†could make it onto chill dance floors and parties alike, and show that Havnevik does not necessarily need to adopt a faster style to succeed (although it would be much easier). Give the disc a go if you like slower, trip-hop infused pop. There may not be levels of Portishead-like catchiness to Havnevik, but the solid approach on “Melankton†will undoubtedly garner Havnevik a number of listeners. Pick the disc up if it is your cup of tea; here’s to hoping Havnevik stays in the game.
Top Tracks: Sleepless, New Day
Rating: 6.0/10