*. Havnatt .*

Album: Havdøgn (2006)(EP Remaster 2012 + 2 Bonus)
Genre: Prog Folk (Acoustic/Contemporary/Neofolk)  /  Norway

Here we have the first EP by Havnatt, originally released in obscurity back in 2006, now remastered and extended with two bonus tracks. Havnatt is Cecilie Langlie and Tom Simonsen of Omit, Skumring, and Vagrant God fame... OK those are obscure projects by most standards but now getting some recognition worldwide thanks to Secret Quarters. Havnatt at least gained some valuable attention as a part of Prophecy Production's compilation, Whom the Moon a Nightsong Sings, "Dagen og natta" shown brightly even amidst perennial heavyweights of the dark/neofolk scene. The first three tracks on Havdøgn are remastered from the original EP. In spite of that, they are closer to a live or demo recording, in terms of production and performance. There are those glaring imperfections that you normally wouldn't find on a studio release, probably a combination of inexperience of the band and their goals at the time. Musically, "Myrulla" and "Havnatt" are rather bland and repetitive, I can't help feeling I'm suffering by not having the poetry in front of me (with English translations, takk). Cecilie's voice is good but not great, not nearly as good as on "Dagen og natta" and other projects. That's a shame because she really shines on Repose and De glemte tider (listen to its title track for comparison). I think she feeds off the power of that style and perhaps the different themes. Here, she seems more uncertain. It's really not until "Prammen" that the music grabbed my attention and connected emotionally. This track is very sensual, not only Cecilie's singing but the accompanying music. Google says a prammen is a type of boat, I really have no clue about the theme of this song and why it's particularly sensual/romantic :) It's unmistakable that nature and the sea play a strong role in Havnatt's music, you don't need lyrics to perceive that. The last two tracks are bonuses for the new release, and much closer to the sound of "Dagen og natta", yet distinct. Production is much better while the music is more mature and focused. They help finish the CD on a higher, though peaceful note. That's the overwhelming feeling of this release: tranquility and beauty. I really couldn't place Havdøgn among the best works of contemporary/neofolk music, and I say that mostly because of the uneven quality of the first 2-3 tracks. However I like the direction they are headed in, and as so often the case, an artist releases a masterpiece leaving us curious as to their origins. I hope Havnatt will create their masterpiece, then we'll look back fondly on this EP and see it as part of their journey and forgive it's missteps. 
Review by "historic_bruno" (Rate Your Music).

RATING:  7 / 10

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