Paavoharju - Laulu Laakson Kukista

Paavoharju
Laulu Laakson Kukista
(5.2008, Fonal Records)
Verdict: Makes my life better.

My life is full of simple moments that affirm my being. From overhearing an amusing conversation in a restaurant to making a new friend, falling asleep in the grass, the apple crisp air of autumn, my little cousin attempting to draw accurate pictures of me, driving with the windows down, the list goes on. And more often than not (daily) these life affirming moments come in the form of art, more specifically music, or at least something closely related. And despite the frequency of these mini life affirming moments, I am rarely floored to my core by a new musical encounter. Getting lost in the Glow pt. 2, hearing Joanna Newsom's voice for the first time, digesting my first Books album, or being assaulted by John Coltrane's Ascension are a few examples of the musical experiences that comprise my short list of first encounter musical floorings. Now, with Laulu Laakson Kukista finding a home around my ears I can add another to the list. Being faced with an album as genuine and as emotionally affecting as Laulu Laakson Kukista I find myself at a complete lack of desire to attempt to describe it on a blog. I'd butcher its honesty; I'd compromise its beauty. It's something I'd need to explain to you face to face, or just show to you. It's something we should listen to together, quietly and attentively. We'd miss it any other way.

-Wooly Mammal

Paavoharju Myspace