Lau Nau
Kutaarha
locust 66
CD / 180 gram LP
2005-02-01

Last year saw an explosion & all too welcome interest in a vital, tightly knit scene of artists from Finland. Out of the communal circle of prodigious Finnish musicians comes this lovely 10 song debut solo outing of abstract folk, stray kiss lullaby & plucked blues by Laura Naukkarinen (vocalist in Kiila, Päivänsäde, The Anaksimandros). Sung in her native tongue, Kuutarha intimates a secret language outside traditional word speak into something utterly beautiful & unrestrained. Melody is suggested through the contours of voice, guitar & violin and arrangement has less to do with the placement of things than with Lau's comfort in letting sounds fall where they may. Line up: Laura Naukkarinen (acoustic bass, bass recorder, five-stringed kantele, acoustic guitar, tenor recorder, violin, bamboo flute, colorful juice glasses, mortar, mandolin, witch laugh megaphone, baby's rattle, bike bells, banjo, cowbells, electric guitar, organ, willow whistle, tablas, percussion, cymbals, comb, beer cans); Pekko Käppi (tamboura, jouhikko).