Review by Justin Kreitzer (3.5 out of 5 Stars)

The road to singer-songwriter and actress Anette Norgaard’s debut album, A North Node, was a long and rough one to say the least.  The folk-pop chanteuse was born and raised on a small island in Denmark where her passion for music was stoked by singing in her church choir.  Later, she landed in London where she attended musical theater school but sadly, developed a vocal polyp and was faced with the devastating news that she may not be able to continue singing.  She soldiered on though and moved to New York and attended acting school as her voice eventually returned to strength.  Since then she co-founded a theater company where she works as a vocal training coach.  Renewed, Norgaard sings from her heart and brings that well-travelled experience and the strength and courage from her health scare to her long-awaited debut album which she self-released in March via her Bandcamp page.  Her gorgeous well-trained voice is inviting and powerful and is the perfect vessel for her unique Scandinavian-influenced brand of jazz-inflected and pop-informed folk rock sound.  Anette sings and plays piano on the album which was produced by queer-pop icon Charlie Demos and recorded and mixed by Tony Conniff in New York and features a host of guest musicians like violinist Elyssa Samsel and guitarists Ramez Baddour, Ari Sadowitz and Christian Totland.                

Opening the album is the statement-making “I Go North”, a duet featuring guest vocals from Søren Bech Madsen, whose rich and theatrical voice complements Anette’s perfectly and together recalls the pretty, organic folk of the Swell Season and the Once soundtrack.  The song also features the album’s fullest arrangement with stirring strings, twinkling piano and hushed acoustic guitars.  Slightly more subtle, “Did They” follows with hypnotic cyclical guitars that grow in intensity along with Norgaard as she coos and accuses with her politically-aware lyrical themes and bittersweet melodies.  The breathtakingly gorgeous “Særlig Magi” is sung in her native Scandinavian language alongside pirouetting violins and liquid electric piano notes that give the song a floating atmospheric ambiance.  Next, the more upbeat “Sometimes” features plush layers of background vocals and whimsical melodies along with snapping percussion and gently strummed acoustic guitars for a nostalgia-inducing sound that recalls 90’s alt-folk stars like Sarah McLachlan.    

“It’s Actually Worse”, a heart-aching slow-waltzing ballad with its universally relatable lyrical theme, stair-stepping piano riff and an emotionally-charged vocal performance offers up a standout moment.  Cut from the same cloth, “If You Lay Down Your Heart” is built upon an understated yet powerful arrangement of piano and searing strings with an uplifting vocal performance that matches the music’s intensity.  Another standout track, “Fall” makes sure Norgaard’s voice is placed squarely in the spotlight as it is nearly performed a cappella with only indelible background vocals, an upbeat shuffling drum beat and some faint organ rounding out the sparse arrangement.  “A Promise” just oozes a jazzy grandeur with a smoky vocal that soars past the rafters.  The moody piano-led “We Walk On” features swells of background vocals from Charlie Demos and showcases Norgaard’s passionate and lilting, Tori Amos-like vocal phrasing for yet another standout moment.  The stunningly beautiful “Morgenstund” is the perfect closing track with its chiming percussion and Danielle Enrico’s guest piano playing and it is sure to leave a lasting reminder of Norgaard’s triumphant and powerful voice long after the CD has stopped spinning in the player. 

With her supreme and soaring voice at the forefront, Anette Norgaard’s long-awaited debut album, A North Node, rises above the over-crowded music scene just like she rose above her own challenges to make the album.                 

Artist: Anette Norgaard
Album: A North Node
Reviewed by: Justin Kreitzer
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 Stars