InsideOutMusic / Sony
Leprous were one of the bands who embraced the opportunities presented by the pandemic, to find ways to reach their fans over the internet, to avoid the period being a “total loss”. They worked with streaming platforms and even put on concerts in their home town of Notodden within the legal strictures in place at the time. This album is a recording of one such concert, captured as played by frontman, vocalist, songwriter, Einar Solberg, presented without fixes or overdubs. You can hear the size of the audience in the applause. However, let’s not treat the record as a mere time capsule. For anyone who could not attend or did not catch the stream, we should be glad that Solberg has decided to release this, whether or not that was the original plan. Solberg is one of the finest vocalists in Europe, one of the undersigned’s Norwegian “Holy Trinity” (Solberg / Prestmo (Wobbler) / Valdal Johannessen (Oak)), and so any opportunity to hear that voice foregrounded, with minimal instrumentation is a treat. Beyond this, however, we should enquire whether it works as a musical endeavour.
Leprous’s music, which is complex and often percussive, immediately presents a challenge for a stripped-down arrangement, never mind for just voice and piano. The performer cannot hope to capture the sound of the original recordings, so each song must be rebuilt to suit the instrument. So, to perform “The Congregation” end to end was an interesting, even a bold choice. After all, it is rare that a band will play a whole album in order in general and this particular record sits within a more limited sonic and emotional range, unlike “Malina” and “Pitfalls” which follow, because of the unity provided by the production. This isn’t a weakness for the record, which is one of Leprous’s best, but adds another difficulty for the performer, because they must adhere to the emotional programme of the tracks as laid out – there is no room left to shape a concert emotionally by choosing songs. What Solberg does here is clever – he changes the arrangements and pace of the pieces instead. How does it play out? Overall, the effect is intense, even emotionally challenging, but strong. Solberg’s lyrics may be opaque and allusive but the personal struggles which underpin his storytelling are well attested, so one can only assume that he is “feeling it” up there on the piano stool – certainly, that is the impression conveyed by the vocal performance. So, no surprise this is not background music – the record must be listened to as you would a classical record or if in attendance at the original show.
Early on, we discover something about Solberg. He may play an electronic keyboard on stage, but he has a strong grasp of the voice of the piano. We get this from the very start, on “The Price”, or later on the subtle reworking of “The Flood” and “Moon”. On other pieces, the arrangement is more faithful to the original track, like on “Third Law”. He positions the sounds at the right place in the piano’s range, leaves room for the voice, cutting back the texture or filling it out in moments of silence. The choices of chords and backing melody lines are consistently good, conveying just enough of the occasional dissonance and tension of the original work, like on “Within The Fence”. The piano playing is also generally good. The cover of the record has the look of a Deutsche Grammophon classical recording. I don’t know whether Solberg is a classically trained player, but there are few notes out of place, there is considerable delicacy in the playing when required, space in the music, good articulation in the arpeggios, and clarity in the more powerful passages. Perhaps he could have used the sustain pedal a little less in places – I’d argue he has the technical ability not to rely on it as much as he does. But this is being petty. I’d reckon any decent piano player would enjoy this aspect of the record alone.
The voice, however, is the main subject of our attention. This is unquestionably a concert for Solberg’s voice. Perhaps it is an advantage of the choice of material, since a studio album would normally contain a variety of musical atmospheres, but Solberg is also clever, I think, in arranging the pieces in a way which allows him to demonstrate his vocal range. We get the vertiginous, overwhelming falsetto which is his hallmark, throughout – I’d call out “The Price” and “Within The Fence” particularly for this. Sometimes, the power of it is difficult to bear, and where he feels he needs to inject more emotion, he is fearless in pushing his voice to its limit. On occasion, for example on “Rewind”, the voice has to do more work, adding power where the original instrumentation carried the force of the music. This works by and large, but on occasion it feels like too much. However, since he is operating in an acoustically cut-down space, that opens the door to greater vocal subtlety as well. “The Flood” is a highlight for this alone, where we have both a more delicate, fragile sound at the top end and also a richer, more sonorous voice at the lower end. “Moon” also shows considerable delicacy in the vocals. There is so much vocal dexterity on display, an a cappella piece would have been an interesting choice for one of the arrangements. Perhaps he didn’t want to show any disrespect to the original music or he prefers to have the piano there as support, but I have no doubt he could have pulled this off with one of the pieces. Overall, this is a very honest and direct recording and presentation of a well-executed, musically interesting, and well-performed concert which shows Solberg as vocalist, arranger, and pianist in a very good light. If you like “The Congregation”, you will certainly enjoy this interpretation of it. For anyone who wants to understand why Solberg is rated as one Europe’s best vocalists, this record is also a “must listen”. Most of all, though, it is a high-quality concert and performance on every level, so surely something to attract attention from anyone who likes good music.
5/6 | Alex Maines
Release date: 16 February 2024