Description
On Marshland, his second solo album, Janne Westerlund uses mainly banjo and dulcimer to accompany his unpolished and distinctive delivery. In order to emphasize the difference to the bands he plays in – Circle, Plain Ride and Pharaoh Overlord – he keeps the arrangements of his solo songs starkly sparse, using additional elements such as percussion and drums only on a few tracks.
These deceivingly simple songs build upon a tension of contemplative calmness set against defiant expressionism, with lyrics dealing with no lesser subjects than the inevitability of death and the oddness of life. Although obviously influenced by American folk and blues, he also draws inspiration from medieval music and Scandinavian melancholic tonality. From the abundance of sources he manages to induce timeless and original music, with a vision unmistakably of his own. His motto pretty much sums it up: Less is less but I like it!
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