Siv Jakobsen creates an emotionally compelling indie-folk album that tackles love, loss, and longing
Siv Jakobsen’s fifth album, Gardening, embraces emotive, introspective lyrics and a gentle folky sound to deliver a wonderfully crafted fifth album.
Produced by: Olav Settem and Simen Mitlid
On Gardnening, Jakobsen picks up where her last album left off. The 12-track project is filled with introspective and emotional moments that combine with her unique and powerful voice to create vivid imagery that jumps out of the speakers.
Take for instance ’Romain’s Place.’ Released as the first single off the album, the track bounces gently between a dreamy angelic state and the earthly realistic lyrics that Jakobsen is so well known for.
On the track Jakobsen confides:
“Through it all, there was a lot that kept me from leaving / Like your fists around my wrists, and how you kept repeating / About the past, about the time when you were spiraling / I see you from the window now, from Romain’s place / I swear that you look just the same, you haven’t aged at all”
Another highlight of the album is the title track. As one of the most emotionally intimate and musically expansive tracks on the record, ‘Gardening’ solidifies itself as THE moment on the record that listeners will return to time and time again.
Jakobsen describes how the track became the thematic link that runs throughout the album:
“This record is me doing an intense amount of emotional gardening,” she says. “I was just raking through my mind and pulling stuff out, and then it grew back again, so I pulled it out again.”
Written in a cabin on the outskirts of Oslo, Gardening is a delicate sonic performance that will bring you closer to nature and allow you to slow down, relax, and devote time to reflect on your own life.
Jakobsen describes the setting:
“My hope is that these songs can be helpful for anyone who has experienced a difficult and/or destructive relationship, whether romantic or not,” she says. “I hope these songs are universal in some way – no matter the nature of the listeners’ past experiences.”
Produced by Hans Olav Settem and Simen Mitlid, the album was mixed by Zach Hanson (Bon Iver, Hand Habits, Sylvan Esso, The Tallest Man On Earth) and includes instrumental contributions from Emma Gatrill and Marcus Hamblett.
If you are a fan of Jakobsen, Gardening is a wonderful addition to the Norwegian’s growing discography. Her talent as a songwriter and performer is second-to-none. The album is perfect for listeners who enjoy introspective and emotional songs, with a touch of folk and acoustic sound.
Standout Songs: Romain’s Place, Most of the Time, Bad By Design (Reprise), Gardening
Release Date: January 20
7.6
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