Northern Resonance - Vision of Three (2024)

Music matters, but location doesn’t; Northern Resonance is proof of that. On their second album, Vision of Three, the Scandinavian trio of Anna Ekborg on viola d’amore, Jerker Hans-Ers on Hardanger fiddle and Petrus Dillner on nyckelharpa blend traditional and modern music in ways that know no boundaries.

The sound of album-opener Fasterud provides positive proof that, in the hands of these sympathetic players, these historical instruments can sound remarkably contemporary. Ekborg’s viola d’amore features six strings along with another set of sympathetic strings that vibrate in harmony; likewise, the Hardanger fiddle of Hans-Ers comprises sympathetic strings while, much like a hurdy-gurdy, Dillner’s nyckelharpa is like a keyed fiddle but with more resonance; together they create a glorious mixture. Using these instruments while also employing more traditional violin and octave violin, their creations bring comfort, warming the coldest winter night while cooling a hot summer’s eve.

Working within a more traditional framework, Voia Lilla Barnet glides by on a slow, solemn melody. Mannered, but not quite stately, it offers a lovely, formal turn around the dance floor filled with dignity but slightly sad, it touches something deep inside. By the title alone, F*ck That Car sounds like it should be a slash-and-burn blaze of glory. Yet, in the hands of Northern Resonance, it is something else altogether. Offering a dance with destiny, their strings play out not despondency but something more conflicted as their vehicles end up in fields with failed parking brakes and dead batteries. Yet, there is still joy within this dance of disabled vehicles.

Building from almost nothing, The Quarantine Waltz seems to track a world on edge while never giving up hope. Building and folding back on top of itself, the song seems to pick up steam and move forward, refusing to be defeated even as we had to learn a new pace and grace to deal with what lay ahead. Playing off the tempos of the traffic, Route 83 never seems to slow, catching the flow of the traffic and dealing with the speeding grace before finally getting caught up in the slowing red lights of the cars ahead. Slowly, the piece regains speed as it heads on its way to its destination.

Old is new, and new is old; Northern Resonance combines the two on Vision of Three, touching on sounds rarely heard, contextualizing them with instruments made new in the remarkable hands of these musicians. It is joy unbound.