Would you let me lie by your side?
E. A Solinas | MD USA | 11/15/2007
(4 out of 5 stars)
"
The Finnish band Husky Rescue has, to date, made only two albums of their exquisitely warm, shimmery trip-folk.
But they've still managed to amass a pretty respectable number of odds and ends -- remixes, B-sides and acoustic sessions. "Other World: Remixes and Rarities" cobbles these together into a checkered, warmly warbly little album, full of solid beats and odd twists.
"Would you let me lie by your side?/Would you hold my hand if I closed my eyes?" Reeta-Leena Korhola sings wistfully over a sheet of gentle acoustic guitar and mournful strings. But since this is a remix, some loopy bands of synth begin slipping in, until the song is a gently trippy, warped, tinkly little ballad.
It's also the first in a long string of their remixes. "Diamonds in the Sky" is transformed into a smoky, uncertain little pop song and a discoey techno beat, while "Nightless Night" is turned into jungle-jazz. "Caravan" is turned into a murky, twirling tune, "Summertime Cowboy" is a deliciously dancy, beat-heavy little remix, and three songs get turned into mellow acoustic ballads.
"New Light of Tomorrow" gets the deluxe treatment: not only does it get reworked as an acoustic tune, but also is remixed three times. The Bonobo mix is a rather hazy, forgettable little tune, but then there's the angular, kinetic jumble of the Evil 9 mix and the haunting, ambient "reprise."
Rarities are a bit harder to come by; there are only three songs on here that are not remixes. "Black Umbrella" is a windy, hesitant little string of crackles, scratching vinyl and ghostly electronica, while "Poison" is a sort of trip-country ballad as played on harmonium. And "Last Dance" is a beautifully miserable ballad, which trickles along through the bells, strings and drums.
Obviously, it's a pretty wild mixed bag, and nobody should expect any of these songs to sound like the others... or for that matter, like the original mixes. There are one or two that aren't too memorable, like the Bonobo remix of "New Light of Tomorrow," but most of them add an interesting new spin on solid pop songs.
Along the way, they load them down with just about everything -- scratching vinyl, jazzy drums, bubbling effects, heavy doses of undulating keyboard, hard beats and a megaload of fuzzy distortion. At times, the melody seems to change almost completely, or else gets mellowed down into a haunting series of ambient sounds.
The only exceptions are the trio of acoustic songs. And while acoustic renditions don't usually thrill me, these are particularly pretty ones.
"Other World: Remixes & Rarities" is more remixes than rarities, but it's still a pleasantly warm, wistful, sometimes jagged collection of electro-folky (disco-country-ambient) songs."
Track Listings (15) - Disc #1