HORIZONS

Is there any reasonable explanation why so many exceptional bands are coming from this country? The album title speaks for itself, that's for sure. Spending a week locked away from civilization they lived in a lighthouse on a tiny Norwegian island. 'Our only audience were the seagulls ...'. That says a lot about the main circumstances when it comes to the substantial recording sessions for this new album. Almost no distraction. ELECTRIC EYE is an innovative entity that repeatedly surprises me, matures on and on. They are a stable quartet since the beginning with members Øystein Braut (guitars, vocals), Njål Clementsen (bass, vocals), Anders Bjelland (keyboards), and drummer Øyvind Hegg-Lunde in the house. Eight new well-elaborated songs are offered, formatted to a vinyl length, including nice melodies, some psychedelia and pop flair, as well as Krautrock flavoured rhythms.

Man, this special mix is thrilling me the more I'm listening. Song titles are optionally in English or Norwegian language. So for the album kick-off I needed a translator. And had to notice that they obviously are referring to their sole audience here. En Bekymringsfri Koloni (A Carefree Colony) comes totally instrumental. You're immediately faced with Hegg-Lunde's great drumming skills. 'I'm The Man On The Moon ...' - quirky electronics and a memorable pop refrain are striking on Last Call At The Infinity Pool. It may be possible that at some time they even have sighted a few sharks towards the horizon. The Sleeping Sharks bears little dramatic atmosphere indeed.

And the groovy Lighthouse Rock is spreading happiness and liveliness everywhere around, potentially supported by some hot drinks? Den Atmosfaeriske Elven (The Atmospheric River) comes as the most experimental excerpt. A cacophonic beginning, the hypnotic bass lines, a somewhat heavy execution like an emotional outburst, it's my album favourite for now. After leaving their isolation they refined the recordings in collaboration with some other musicians who are contributing wind instruments, cello and additional electronics, to name a few. Fireworks is needed for some praise. A many-sided case, there's so much to detect. As for that, I especially mean the open-minded approach, they are somewhat equal to their fellow countrymen Needlepoint or maybe Goat from Sweden. Thanks so much for this wonderful album! 4.5 stars.