Hibernation in the Norwegian Wilderness - A Review of Wardruna's Birna

Wardruna is a Norwegian ambient folk band that has just released its sixth studio record Birna that comes along with ten new songs and a generous running time of sixty-six minutes. For those unfamiliar with the group, it revolves around two forming members Einar Selvik on bronze lure, drums, flute, goat horn, Kravik lyre, percussion, talharpa, tongue horn and male vocals as well as Lindy-Fay Hella on bone flute and female vocals who are surrounded by a revolving line-up of other musicians and vocalists. Other than the exotic instruments, this duo intrigues with Norwegian lyrics dealing with topics such as paganism and spiritualism. This duo can be compared to similar ambient folk bands such the most recent releases by Norwegian solo project Burzum, the entire discography of Freija from Bulgaria and the contemporary releases by their experimental compatriots Ulver.

While the aforementioned groups have helped progress their respective genres, have combined well-researched stories with captivating live performances or have managed to experiment, innovate and surprise even three decades into their careers, Wardruna however fails to exploit its full potential on Wardruna. The exotic instruments aren't used in a distinctive manner, track patterns are at times overused and song structures are often so tiresome that it becomes a genuine pain to sit through the entire release that severely overstays its welcome. 

This record's most significant issues are the slow-paced patterns on display that fail to develop any energy, innovation or passion. Those smooth structures however also fail to develop any kind of depth, introspection or magic throughout the record. The song material often plods by without leaving any negative or positive impression. The different tracks are almost entirely forgotten as soon as they are over. The musicianship on display is tame, the vocals sound tired and the song structures are almost uninspired throughout. 

To be fair, two songs manage to stand out positively in the album's second half with enchanting, joyful and playful "Himinndotter" as well as gloomy, mysterious and rhythmic "Skuggehesten".

At the end of the day, Wardruna's Birna might be an acceptable soundtrack selection for a documentary about Norwegian nature or an independent video game based upon folkoristic elements. On its own however, this same album feels repetitive, sluggish and tame as it can only be recommended to adamant fans of Scandinavian ambient sounds. If you are looking for a heavier band using folk instruments cleverly, don't hesitate to give medieval rock veterans In Extremo and its acoustic as well as electric records a fair chance.