Gryningsland

This Swedish-Finnish trio's name is their mission statement: they enliven the Nordic folk canon with avant-garde influences, finding a pleasing balance between challenge and tradition. Gryningsland brims with off-kilter rhythms and beautifully brittle melodies. ‘Budapest’, oscillating between a scampering, intense vocal and a relaxed groove, is typical of compositions that often leave the listener feeling like they are being led along an uneven woodland path by a mischievous forest spirit.

Anna Wilkenius’ voice has the clarity of a mountain stream, while her lyrics rove from observations on Instagram to interpretations of the poetry of early 20th-century Swedish bard Nils Ferlin. The most striking moments come as her wordless vocalisations interact with her bandmates’ instruments, as on the ostinato interplay of ‘Toivo’. What might seem to be a sparse line-up of vocals, violin and kantele (a traditional Finnish zither) yields rich sonic textures, particularly when all three band members contribute to vocal swells that bubble over into delightful cacophony. Judging by the inventiveness that abounds on this debut album, it will be very interesting to hear how Folk’Avant's nuanced fusion of old and new evolves.