Folk On The Water
My travels in music bring me back to Finland, a country of stunning natural beauty and breath-taking landscapes encompassing all four of the elements of earth, wind, fire and water. This territory of extremes, of cold, icy waters, green, lush fields, craggy mountainous areas and blizzard like snow covered enchanting forests are all very inviting, and my friends so is the music from our most rustic folk Korpiklaani. The name actually means ‘The backwoods clan’ and it may very well be that they are true country bumpkins, however their tunefulness belies their weathered, rugged complexions. I don’t understand a word they sing, I am relying on the internet translations, but by golly do I want to learn Finnish.
What you have here are the gargantuan classic rock vibes, steeped in folk culture and lifestyle, stories of the forest, the glades, the lakes and the cottages, all adding up to a myths and legends scenario.
There is a stark and sombre reminder of the Lake Bodom murders (RIP Alexi) in ‘Niemi’ which means ‘The Cape’ an unsolved case that mirrors the mystery and withheld knowledge that these mesmerising views can hide. They dip their toes into the world of Ska for ‘Leväluhta’ and there’s also something very pirate-y about the music, it’s never a dull moment with these fellas. The mad swag of the accordion and violins makes it a very funky and folky record; gravelly vocals add character and strength matching the frosty wilderness appeal. This is the first record with new drummer, Samuli Mikkonen, the transition being seamless and mutually beneficial. We hark back to the 80’s when a full head of hair to shake around was all the rage, if you are follically challenged please throw on a suitable wig and give it some welly to ‘Sanaton Maa’ it comes with a huge chorus that will have you ecstatically headbanging. The tunes seem to speed up a tad with ‘Pohja’ and the yo ho ho and a bottle of rum feel of ‘Huolettomat’ I kind of expected ‘Come on Eileen’ to burst out of the speakers. It’s all very jovial and welcoming, enticing you in over the welcome mat and it is the language of rock music that binds us.
The title ‘Jylhä’ means majestic or beautiful and it sums up this album perfectly, an incredibly entertaining and rapturous outing, can’t wait to be at the front of the queue to see the backwoods clan!
Korpiklaani – Jylhä out now via Nuclear Blast.