It's great to be back writing, and even if the backlog is as immense as ever I have a renewed sense of optimism that one day we'll reach the end of the list. And although I promise to head back to deal with the longest outstanding, I just have to drop in the new track from Finnish band 'The Stillwalkers' first, because they remain my favourite 'discovery' since we started Nordic Music Review all those years ago.
It's been a while since we heard from 'The Stillwalkers', their 2015 self titled album has grown into one of my favourite albums of all time, but the band have taken time away to have families and then worked on an EP, which inevitably has taken slightly longer than anticipated. Finally we get to hear the title track and it's called 'Slow Moves', and I was slightly apprehensive about hearing it, concerned that it might not quite sound like the same 'Stillwalkers' after all this time.
But of course I need not have worried. Similarly to the truly excellent 'The Delay Trees' (or anything by Rami Vierula), 'The Stillwalkers' have this amazing ability to write the most natural sounding pop songs, and in the 40 second intro we get offered the same reassuring comforting sound, on this occasion acoustic guitar overlaid by synths playing out the main musical theme. With soft melancholy and understated vocals, then a hint of trumpet, everything just fuses gently together in a way that makes me remember why I love this band so much. In many ways it's quite a simple sounding track, but maybe that's why it works so well.
Anyway this is 'Slow Moves':
We'll do a review of the full 'Still Moves' EP when it comes out. And the good news is that 'The Stillwalkers' are well on the way to recording their 2nd album, and whilst it'll probably not be with us until sometime next year that gives us a great reason to carry on going.