Artist.......: Amandine
Album........: Solace in Sore Hands
Label........: Fat Cat
Genre........: Indie
Catnr........: n/a
source.......: CDDA
rip.date.....: Feb-28-2007
str.date.....: 000-00-0000
quality......: VBR/44,1Hz/Joint-Stereo
Url..........: n/a
track title time
01. Faintest of Sparks 03:26
02. Chores of the Heart 03:28
03. Silver Bells 03:14
04. Standing in Line 02:59
05. Soldier Hands 03:28
06. Iron Wings 02:50
07. Our Nameless Will 03:52
08. Better Soil 03:30
09. Secrets 02:42
10. Shadow of Grief 03:42
11. New Morning 06:16
Runtime 39:27 min
Size 51,9 MB
Release Notes:
April 9th 2007 sees the release of Amandine's
sophomore LP, 'Solace In Sore Hands', featuring
eleven new bitter-sweet songs, that nevertheless
purvey a more extensive sonic palette, and display
a further-refined take on their already poignant
lyrical content.
The album was written in the spring of 2006 and
rehearsed the following summer. Again working with
producer Ove Andersson, the basic tracks were
recorded live in late August in a cabin north of
Umeσ, Sweden, overlooking the bay of Bothnia. The
band then returned to the Maraccas studio in Gefle
for additional recordings and mixing.
The result, 'Solaceà', serves as a concise document
of that specific period. Lyrically influenced by
the harsh and slightly absurd imagery of Swedish
contemporary authors Sara Lidman, Torgny Lindgren
and Lotta Lotass among others, major themes include
forgiveness, redemption and moving on in the wake
of hardship. The title is a reference to the labour
and hardship often portrayed by those authors.
Still based on an axis of alt country / Americana,
Amandine's songs have broadened in both scope and
depth. Aside from their inclination towards the
likes of Songs:Ohia, The Band, early R.E.M. or
Crosby Stills Nash x%x% Young, this fresh batch of
recordings highlight a leaning towards Swedish folk
music and the minimalist, heart-rending composition
of Erik Satie. Nevertheless, at times the songs on
'Solaceà' cut loose more freely and bear rougher
edges than those on its predecessor, imbued with
the character of a more prevalent live recording
process.
AmandineÆs story starts in a small northern swedish
town called Sandviken. A town known mostly for its
iron works, it is also the birthplace of Olof
Gidl÷f and John Andersson, who formed the band in
2001. Together they crafted country-inspired songs
inbetween commitments to other music projects.
Studies then relocated Olof and John further north
to Umeσ, known for its vibrant music scene, where
Andreas Berqvist and Andreas Hedstr÷m were added to
the line up, as Amandine went from a being a side
project to the main point of focus for its members.
In 2004 the band moved to Malm÷ and signed to
FatCat, who reseased their debut album 'This Is
Where Our Hearts Collide' the following year. 2006
saw the addition of violinist Kristina Lundin, as
well as the release of the 'Waiting For The Light
To Find Us' EP, and tours in Europe and the U.S.